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The Saadiens Tombs
Located on the side of the Kasbah mosque, the Saadian tombs are one of the few remnants of the Saadian dynasty that reigned over the golden age of Marrakech from 1524 to 1659. Indeed, at the start of the 18th century, the sultan Moulay Ismaïl decided to banish all trace of the magnificence of this dynasty, by demanding the destruction of all remaining remnants. However, he did not dare commit the sacrilege of destroying their graves and ordered that the entrance to the necropolis be walled. The secret was well-kept until 1917, when the site of the Saadian tombs was rediscovered.
Although this royal necropolis was used from the start of the 14th century, its splendour dates back to the 16th century with the burial of Prince Mohamed Cheikh in 1557. His son Ahmed El Mansour, also known as Ahmed “the Golden”, had the place enlarged and made more attractive by having the Koubba “Lalla Mesouada” built after his mother.
Lalla Messaouda was buried there in 1591 along with the sultan’s 3 successors.
The most prestigious mausoleum is the twelve-column hall. This hall houses the tomb of the sultan’s son Ahmed El Mansour. The cedar ceilings and plaster walls are finely detailed, and the graves are in Carrare marble. Some tombs have a poetic epitaph. That of Princess Zorha is wonderful: "Here is the tomb of the noble lady, new moon, marvel of virtues."
Visiting the various mausoleums is done through a minimalist garden snuggled between different buildings.
