History Of Saadian Tombs
The rich history of the Saadian Tombs, Marrakech's hidden royal necropolis. From a mausoleum built to honor a dynasty to two centuries sealed from view, discover how this Saadian masterpiece became one of Morocco's most treasured monuments.
A Mausoleum Founded by a Dynasty
The Saadian Tombs trace back to 1557, when Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib built the first mausoleum here to honor his father, Mohammed ash-Sheikh, founder of the Saadian dynasty. Set beside the Kasbah Mosque within the royal citadel, the site became the dynasty's chosen burial ground for the century that followed.
Ahmad al-Mansur's Chamber of the Twelve Columns
The complex reached its artistic peak under Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603), who commissioned the Chamber of the Twelve Columns as a mausoleum for himself and his family. Twelve columns of Italian Carrara marble support a dome of carved and gilded muqarnas, framing his tomb at the center of the room — widely regarded as one of the finest surviving interiors of Saadian art.
A Garden for the Wider Court
Beyond the two main mausoleum buildings, a garden courtyard holds more than a hundred simpler graves belonging to princes, viziers, and household servants, each marked with modest zellige headstones set among roses, hedges, and nesting storks.
Sealed Away by Moulay Ismail
After the Saadian dynasty collapsed in the early 1600s, Sultan Moulay Ismail — who stripped nearby El Badi Palace for materials to build his new capital at Meknes — chose not to destroy the tombs, but to hide them instead. He had the site walled up, leaving only a narrow passage accessible from the Kasbah Mosque, and it disappeared from public view for more than two centuries.
Rediscovered in 1917
The tombs remained sealed until 1917, when an aerial survey commissioned during the French Protectorate revealed the hidden complex. Restoration work uncovered the Chamber of the Twelve Columns largely intact, and the site was opened to the public soon after.
The Saadian Tombs Today
Today the Saadian Tombs are one of Marrakech's most visited monuments, prized for their marble columns, carved muqarnas ceilings, and vivid zellige tilework. Visitors file through a narrow entrance passage to reach the two mausoleums and garden, a quiet counterpoint to the bustle of the Kasbah outside.
