Marrakech, Morocco
Moroccan cultural heritage site
El Badi Palace, in the Kasbah south of the medina, was commissioned by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur a few months after he came to the throne following the Battle of Wadi al-Makhazin in 1578, and building went on for most of his reign. Used for receptions and designed to show off the sultan's wealth, it was decorated with materials brought from far and wide, from Italian marble to Malian gold, as part of the larger Saadian palace complex. After al-Mansur's death in 1603 it was neglected, then stripped of its marble and fittings, which were reused across Morocco, so what remains are colossal rammed-earth walls and ruins. They are still impressive: a vast courtyard about 135 metres long with huge sunken pools and orange gardens, underground passages and the remains of the reception pavilions. Storks nest along the walls. One hall displays the minbar of the Koutoubia Mosque, made in Córdoba in the 12th century and one of the masterpieces of carved and inlaid woodwork in the Islamic world. The roof terrace looks over the medina to the Atlas on clear days.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half. Do not miss the minbar hall or the roof terrace. The courtyard is fully exposed, so in summer go at opening or in the last two hours. It is close to the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, an easy half-day trio.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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ParkMarrakech, Morocco
