10/10 Excellent
Aaron S.
19 Jul 2022
Liked: Cleanliness
Impeccably-maintained riad and exceptional hospitality
I would highly recommend this beautiful and impeccably-maintained riad to anyone! Saliha was the most accommodating and responsive host I’ve ever lodged with, and she worked hard to ensure that my visit went smoothly. I stayed at Dar al-Katib for 6 weeks, and Saliha’s hospitality always went above and beyond—she took my partner’s dress to the tailor for us, she set up our transportation to Volubilis, and she personally took care of me when I became very ill! Saliha’s cooking is excellent (especially the Meknessi chicken with vegetable tagine!), and my partner and I preferred her food to the other highly-rated restaurants in the old city, such as Baraka, Aisha, or Gout de Meknes. The architecture of the riad itself is incredible, with the highest ceilings and some of the best plaster carvings I’ve seen in Meknes. And it’s always sparkling clean! I stayed here through a heat wave with highs of 109F (43C), and never needed AC—this centuries-old home was built to stay cool! The central location in the old city was perfect for me as well: a 6-minute walk to my school (AALIM), a 4-minute walk to Bab Mansour, and a quick walk to myriad restaurants and shops. The view from the roof at sunset is incredible as well! Like all the riads in the old city, Dar al-Katib can be a bit tricky to find at first. See my directions below for finding the riad easily.
Directions:
Here is my recommendation for walking to the riad. These instructions are complicated, but it’s actually extremely easy to make this walk, it’s just hard to explain without visuals! If you get lost, ask for Dar Atika—it’s located in the same alley as Dar al-Katib (Derb al-Katib), but people seem to know it a little better.
Step 1: Locate the entrance of the Musee de Meknes (Meknes Museum) at the intersection of Rue Dar Smen (major road) and Rue Bab Aïssi (small pedestrian/scooter only road). ** If you don’t speak Arabic (or French) well, it may be easiest to have a taxi driver take you to Lahdim Square, then walk 100m northeast along the major road (Rue Sar Smen) to Rue Bab Aïssi.**
Step 2: Enter the old city by walking northwest along Rue Bab Aïssi (the small road across the street from the Museum). You may not see any road signs at the entrance to this little road, but there are a bunch of signs for other riads (Riad Ritaj, Riad Safir, Riad Malak, Riad Felloussia, Riad Zahraa).
Step 3: Walk straight (northwest) along Rue Bab Aïssi until you can no longer go any further (about 3 or 4 minutes).
Aaron S.
Stayed 39 nights in May 2022