Mekes city in northern Morocco is the capital of Meknes Province. It lies on a fertile plain north of the Middle Atlas, near Fez.

A former residence of the Sultan, the city is on a railroad that links it with the coast, and roads lead to nearby mountain resorts.

Industries include fruit, vegetable, and palm-oil processing, metalworking, distilling, and the manufacture of carpets, woolens, and cement.

The city, called the Moroccan Versailles, contains the Sultan's palace and grounds and a large marketplace; it is surrounded by a triple tier of walls.

The Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy city of Moulay-Idriss, founded in AD 788, lie to the north.