The Saadiens Tombs

Located beside the mosque of the Kasbah, the tombs of the saâdiens are one of the only vestiges remaining of the dynasty saâdienne which reigned on old gold of Marrakech between 1524 to 1659. At the beginning of the 18 th century, the sultan Moulay Ismaïl had indeed decided to make disappear all traces from the magnificence of this dynasty by asking for the destruction of all the vestiges remaining. He dared however not to make the sacrilege to destroy their burials and ordered that one walls entered of the necropolis. The secrecy remained well kept jusqu  'in 1917, date of the redécouverte of site of the tombs saâdiens.
Although this necropolis royal was used at the beginning of the 14 th century, its splendor goes back to the 16 th century with burial of the prince Mohamed Sheik in 1557. His/her son Ahmed El Mansour, also known like Ahmed "gilded", made increase and embellish site while making there build the koubba "Lalla Mesouada" of the name of his mother. Lalla Messaouda was buried there in 1591 as well as the 3 successors of the sultan.
The most prestigious mausoleum is the room of the twelve columns. This room shelters fall it from the sultan wire Ahmed El Mansour. The ceilings in cedar and the stuccos are finely worked, the burials are there out of Carrara marble. Certain tombs raise a poetic epitaph. That of the Zorha princess is splendid: "Here fall it from the noble lady, the new moon, wonder of the virtues."
The visit of the various mausoleums is made with through a garden minimalist nesting between various buildings.