Description of the attraction
The Saadi Mausoleum is one of the popular attractions of the imperial city of Marrakech, located in the historic center of the city - Medina. The complex of tombs is a family crypt, as well as the only monument preserved from the Saadi dynasty, which ruled in the Maghreb from 1509-1659. Paying great attention to the development of art in the country and international diplomatic relations, they brought worldwide fame to Marrakech.
The mausoleum complex was erected in the 16th century, and was discovered only at the beginning of the 20th century. After the era of the Saadi dynasty ended, the tombs were abandoned, partially built up and unvisited. And only in 1917 they were restored and opened for tourists.
The Saadi Mausoleum is a whole complex in which the remains of 60 representatives of this dynasty rest. It is worth noting that the ruler Ahmed al-Mansour was also a member of the Saadi dynasty, who made Marrakesh the capital of the country.
The building consists of three rooms, each of which is uniquely decorated. The most famous is the hall with 12 columns, which became the tomb for Sultan Ahmed el-Mansur and his family members. A garden grows next to the tombs and there are burials where servants and soldiers rest.
Decorated with multicolored arabesques, covered with alabaster stalactites and trimmed with carved cedar wood and Carrara marble imported from Italy, Saadi's mausoleum is a prime example of Islamic architecture.
The necropolis was so beautiful that even the Alawites who came to power in 1654 under the leadership of Sultan Moulay Ismail did not dare to destroy it. To prevent the tombs from reminding the ruling sultan of the luxurious life of his predecessors, he ordered them to be covered with a wall, leaving only a small secret door to enter.
Saadi Mausoleum is a beautiful and majestic place with a special atmosphere.
