Saadian Tombs

Sealed off by the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century to erase his predecessors' memory, these royal tombs of the Saadian dynasty lay hidden behind a wall for over 200 years. They were only rediscovered during a 1917 French aerial survey. The Hall of Twelve Columns, housing the tomb of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour, is a masterpiece of Saadian decorative art: Italian Carrara marble columns, honeycomb muqarnas ceilings in carved cedarwood, and zellige of extraordinary fineness. Over 60 members of the Saadian dynasty are buried here.