Saadian Tombs
Saadian Tombs
Saadian Tombs (Rue de la Kasbah, Marrakech) — one of the most visited sites in Marrakech and throughout Morocco, the Saadian Tombs were discovered and opened to the public in 1917. The entrance is signposted inside the main gate to the Kasbah, a short walk from Jemaa el Fna. The principal structures of the tombs were built by Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour and date from the late 16th century. An enclosed garden is overlooked by two separate mausoleums, with over 100 mosaic-decorated graves scattered inside lavishly decorated chambers and outside in the courtyard (where most of the royal wives and concubines ended up).
The mausoleum reserved for the sultan and his favorite sons boasts magnificent domed ceilings, gilded stalactite plasterwork, intricate carving and marble pillars. There are 66 members of the Saadian royal family buried here, alongside chancellors and royal advisors and some much older graves whose identity has been lost.