Heri es-Souani

Heri es-Souani is a large complex of granaries and stables in the imperial city of Meknès, Morocco, built in the late 17th century by the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail, who reigned from 1672 to 1727. It was designed to store grain and feed for the royal army and to house a large number of horses, which were central to his military strength, with some historical accounts placing the stable capacity in the thousands. The building is made of thick rammed-earth and stone walls, with long vaulted halls supported by rows of massive pillars and arches. The thick walls and small openings kept the interior cool, helping store grain over long periods, and a system of underground channels brought water from nearby sources. Its architecture is plain and functional, but the repeating arches create a dramatic, atmospheric space, and light falls through gaps in the roof onto the pillars. Part of the structure was damaged in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, and sections of the roof have collapsed, leaving some halls partly open to the sky. Restoration work by the Moroccan authorities has stabilised the structure and opened part of the complex to visitors. The adjacent Agdal Basin, a large artificial reservoir also built by Moulay Ismail to supply water for the gardens and the granaries, is a short walk away. Visitors can walk through the long halls, see the water channels and learn about the logistics behind the imperial city. Admission is about 70 MAD, and the site is typically open daily from 9:00 to 17:00. The visit takes 30 to 45 minutes, and the interior is cool even in summer, which makes it a pleasant stop in the heat of the day.