Coordinates: 31.6183°N 7.

9858°W

El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace (Arabic: ‫​قصر البديع‬, lit. 'Palace of
El Badi Palace
Wonder/Brilliance'[1], also frequently translated as the
"Incomparable Palace"[2]) or Badi' Palace[2] is a ‫قصر البديع‬
ruined palace located in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was
commissioned by the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the
Saadian dynasty a few months after his accession in
1578, with construction and embellishment continuing
throughout most of his reign. The palace, decorated with
materials imported from numerous countries ranging
from Italy to Mali, was used for receptions and designed
to showcase the Sultan's wealth and power.[3][4] The
palace was neglected after al-Mansur's death in 1603
and eventually fell into ruin after the decline of the
The central pool and courtyard of the
Saadian dynasty. Its valuable materials (especially
palace, looking towards the remains of the
marble) were stripped away and reused in other
buildings across Morocco. Today it is a major tourist western pavilion
attraction in Marrakesh as well as an exhibition space;
notably, the Minbar of the Kutubiyya Mosque is
displayed here.[5][6]

Contents
Name
History
Background
Construction Alternative names The Incomparable
Decline Palace
Present day General information
Architecture and layout Type Palace
The Saadian palace complex Architectural style Saadian,
The reception palace: El Badi Moroccan, Moorish
See also Location Ksibat Nhass,
References Marrakesh,
Morocco
External links
Coordinates 31.6183°N
7.9858°W
Name Construction started 1578
Completed 1593
The name el-Badi' (Arabic: ‫)​البديع‬, typically translated as
"the Incomparable", is one of the 99 Names of God in Demolished ca. late 17th
Islam.[2][4] Ahmad al-Mansur may have chosen the century
name due to his own reputed piety, but also to reflect his
intention to create a superlative palace to impress guests.[3] The name also had historical
precedents in Moorish palace architecture as it was used to designate one of the pavilions in the
Caliph's palace in Cordoba, Spain (al-Andalus).[4]:393–394

History

Background
Prior to the reign of the Saadian sultan Moulay Abdallah al-Ghalib (ruled 1557-1574), the rulers of
Marrakesh resided in the old Kasbah (citadel) built by the Almohad dynasty in the late 12th and
early 13th century.[3] According to the contemporary chronicler Marmol, Moulay Abdallah, a
major builder in his time, was the first to build a new palace in the area where the El Badi Palace
stands, along the northern edge of the Almohad kasbah near the Kasbah Mosque and the newly-
begun Saadian Tombs.[4][3] The El Badi Palace proper, however, was constructed by Sultan Ahmad
al-Mansur al-Dhahabi (ruled 1578-1603) at the height of the Saadian dynasty's power.[3][7] The
palace's construction, along with al-Mansur's other projects, was probably funded by the
substantial ransom paid by the Portuguese after the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578.[5][3] The
wealth of al-Mansur's reign was also due to the Saadians' control of the sugar trade. Morocco was
at that time a significant exporter of sugar towards Europe, along with other products such as silk,
copper, and leather.[3] In 1590 al-Mansur launched military expeditions to the south which
resulted in the conquest of Timbuktu and Gao in Mali and the defeat of the Songhai Empire.[3]
This control of the trans-Saharan trade routes allowed al-Mansur to increase Morocco's access not
only to gold but also to slaves – on which the sugar processing industry relied and which were
necessary to compete with the sugar trade coming from Brazil and the Caribbean (controlled by
Europeans and also reliant on slaves).[3]

Construction
According to al-Ifrani, construction of the palace began in December 1578 (Shawwal 986 AH), only
a few months after the Saadian victory at the Battle of the Three Kings and Ahmad's accession to
power, and took fifteen years, finishing in 1593 (1002 AH).[4][7] French historian Gaston
Deverdun, however, points out that the "Portuguese plan" of 1585 (an illustrated document
providing important information on the layout of Marrakesh's kasbah at the time) shows us a fully-
completed palace, while at the same time there also exist records of Ahmad al-Mansur purchasing
marble for construction up until 1602, a year before his death.[4] This suggests that the major
constructions of the palace may have been completed by the early 1580s but that al-Mansur
continued to embellish the palace up until his death.[3][4][8]

The construction of the palace was a major enterprise. The sultan had workers and artisans
brought from many regions, including Europe, to aid in the construction; so much so that a
flourishing market established itself near the construction site to cater to the workers.[3] Al-
Mansur was so involved in making sure that work continued efficiently that he even provided child
care for his workers in order to ensure they were not distracted by other priorities.[3] Materials
were also imported from multiple regions and foreign countries, including marble columns
fabricated in Italy and lime and plaster from Timbuktu.[3]
Decline
After the fall of the Saadians and the rise of the Alaouite dynasty the palace entered a period of
rapid decline. It does not appear to have been maintained after al-Mansur's death and its premises
were even plagued by malaria at one point.[3] While the first Alaouite sultan, Moulay Rashid, was
able to live here briefly in 1668-1669, less than ten years later his successor Moulay Isma'il ibn
Sharif was unwilling to let ambassadors visit it because of its bad state.[3]:262 According to al-
Ifrani, in 1707-08 (1119 AH) Moulay Isma'il ordered that the palace be demolished and stripped of
its contents, materials and decorations, which were then re-used in the construction of his new
palace and capital in Meknes.[3][9] In reality, the dismantlement of the palace likely occurred
progressively over time, beginning well before 1707 and also continuing after Moulay Isma'il.[10][3]
Architectural elements of Saadian origin, most likely including elements from the Badi Palace, are
found in a number of buildings across Morocco and even in Algiers; for example, the Mausoleum
of Moulay Isma'il in Meknes and the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II in Fes.[3][10] In the meantime, the
ruins of the palace became a grazing site for animals and even an owl sanctuary.[3]

Present day
The palace today is a well-known tourist attraction. The complex contains an exhibition space
where the 12th-century Almoravid minbar that once stood in the Kutubiyya Mosque is on display,
in addition to other exhibition spaces opened in 2018.[6] For a number of years the Marrakesh
Folklore Festival has taken place within the palace.[9]

Architecture and layout

The Saadian palace complex

The Saadian palaces formed a complex built inside the
vast kasbah (citadel) on the south side of the city,
originally laid out during the Almohad period under
Caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur.[4][8] Some of the various
elements of the Saadian palaces may have already been
Overall view of the Badi Palace's main
built under Abdallah al-Ghalib, while Ahmad al-Mansur
courtyard, featuring a central water basin
added to them and embellished them.[4] The complex was and four large sunken gardens
entered via a "Grand Mechouar", a vast ceremonial square
or courtyard, to the south of the Almohad-era Kasbah
Mosque.[3] The main gate of the royal palace was situated here and led to a smaller mechouar from
which a long passage ran east to give access to the palace's various components. On the south side
of this passage were most of the functional annexes of the palace, including kitchens, warehouses,
the treasury, and stables.[3] On the north side of the passage was the vast reception palace, the El
Badi proper, along with the private quarters of the sultan and his family, their bathhouses
(hammams), a private mosque, and the mint.[3] Finally, beyond these structures, occupying the
whole eastern side of the kasbah, were a number of pleasure gardens. These included the Crystal
Garden (az-zujaj), the royal garden known as al-Mustaha ("the Desired") with a grand water
basin, and the Qasr Garden or inner garden for al-Mansur's private quarters.[8][3]:256 Ahmad al-
Mansur also renovated the vast Agdal Gardens to the south of the kasbah, originally created by the
Almohads.[3] The entire palace and citadel complex was surrounded by fortified walls, as in
Almohad times and as still seen today.[3]

One curious feature inside the palace complex was a tall tower which is prominently depicted in
descriptions of Marrakesh during the Saadian period but which was missing in the later Alaouite
era. Of uncertain origin, this structure may have been a private observation tower dating from
either the Almohad or Saadian dynasty, used for the enjoyment of the sultan and similar to smaller
elevated lookouts present in some aristocratic mansions in Marrakesh and Fes.[8]:267–270

An illustration of Marrakech and the El Badi Palace, by Adriaen Matham, 1640.

Among other features, the image shows a tall tower that once stood in the palace,
which later disappeared and whose origin has been debated among scholars.

The reception palace: El Badi

The El Badi Palace itself
was a reception palace
where Sultan Ahmad al-
Mansur hosted and
received guests. The
palace was a lavish display
of the best craftsmanship
of the Saadian period,
constructed using some of
the most expensive
materials of the time,
including gold and onyx,
with colonnades made of
Italian marble exchanged
with Italian merchants for
The former reception hall and throne their equivalent weight in An annex on the northwest side of
sugar. [11][3] Although the
room inside the western pavilion, the the palace which contained
Qubba al-Khamsiniya. In the core structure of the residential quarters, possibly for
foreground are the remains of a palace's walls were made foreign ambassadors
rectangular water basin covered in in rammed earth
zellij mosaic tilework. reinforced with a mixture
of lime, the walls were covered with these expensive materials
and elaborate decoration (though today they stand bare due to
the palace's later ruin).[3]:268 The floors were paved with marble and zellij (mosaic tilework), the
ceilings and capitals of the columns were gilded, and the walls were covered in intricately-carved
stucco with calligraphic inscriptions.[3] The fragments of zellij which have been uncovered in
modern excavations in the palace show that the Saadian craftsmen had created geometric patterns
of even greater complexity than those of previous periods, including examples of twenty-pointed
stars.[3] The various gardens and pools featured fountains with jets of water, reminiscent of the
role of water in the Andalusian architecture of the Alhambra (which appears to have had a noted
influence on Saadian architecture generally) and requiring an underground hydraulic
infrastructure of vaults and channels.[4][3]

The floor plan of the palace is essentially rectangular, centered around a huge courtyard
(measuring 135 by 110 metres) with a central pool (measuring 90.4 by 21.7 metres).[7][3]:266 The
courtyard also had four
enormous sunken
gardens, excavated and
rediscovered in modern
times, which were
arranged symmetrically
around the central pool, as
well as four other water
basins (measuring roughly
The eastern pavilion (the Qubbat al-
30 by 20 metres) along An annex area on the south side of
Zujaj), no longer standing today but the west and east sides of the palace, probably including the
the courtyard.[3] This
showing remains of the underground remains of a bathhouse (hammam)
water infrastructure arrangement was
essentially that of a riad
garden (a symmetrical interior garden in Moorish
[8]
architecture) on a grand scale. Each side of this rectangular courtyard had a large pavilion with a
grand and ornate cupola (qubba), around which were other cupolas and structures. The two largest
pavilions faced each other at the eastern and western ends of the courtyard.[3] The western one
was known in Arabic as al-Qubbat al-Khamsiniya (Arabic: ‫خمسينية‬ ْ ‫​ال ُقبة ا َل‬, lit. 'Dome/Pavilion of the
Fifty') named either after its surface area of some 50 cubits or the fact that it once featured 50
columns.[11][3] "Al-Quba al-Khamsiniya" is also the title of a poem by Abd al-Aziz al-Fishtali, poet
laureate of Sultan Ahmed al-Mansur's court.[12] The pavilion served as a reception hall or throne
hall for the sultan. An alcove in the back wall of the chamber marks the spot where the sultan used
to sit in attendance. Above this alcove was an Arabic inscription carved in black marble amidst the
white marble covering the rest of the walls.[3] At the middle of the hall was a fountain flanked by
two water basins covered in delicate zellij decoration and fed with water spurting from silver
sculptures of animals such as leopards, lions and pythons.[3]:268 The pavilion on the eastern side of
the courtyard (no longer standing today) was known as the Qubbat az-Zujaj (Arabic: ‫​قبة الزجاج‬,
lit. 'Pavilion of Crystal/Glass') or Qubbat ad-Dahab (Arabic: ‫​قبة الذهب‬, lit. 'Pavilion of Gold'). It was
reserved for the sultan's private use and gave access to the Crystal Garden to the east (mentioned
above).[3] The pavilion on the courtyard's north side was known as the Qubbat al-Khadra (Arabic:
‫​القبة الخضراء‬, lit. 'Green Pavilion') and once had two stories with a number of rooms.[3] An annex on
the west side of this pavilion, paved with zellij and accessible to visitors today, contained three
residential quarters which may have been used as guest quarters for foreign ambassadors.[3] The
southern pavilion was known as the Qubbat al-Khayzuran (Arabic: ‫​قبة الخيزران‬, lit. 'Pavilion of the
Heliotrope/Myrtle'; possibly also named after one of al-Mansur's favourite concubines) and may
have led to the women's quarters.[3] Behind this pavilion were bathhouses which have been
partially excavated and whose remains can be visited today.[3] Aside from the pavilions, the rest of
the courtyard's perimeter was lined with a gallery featuring "lambrequin" or "muqarnas"-profiled
arches similar to those seen in the Court of the Lions and in other Moroccan Architecture.[3]

See also
 Saadian Tombs
Ben Youssef Madrasa

References
1. Team, Almaany. "Translation and Meaning of ‫ بديع‬In English, English Arabic Dictionary of terms
Page 1" (https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B9/).
www.almaany.com. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
2. "Badi' Palace" (https://archnet.org/sites/4743). Archnet. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
3. Salmon, Xavier (2016). Marrakech: Splendeurs saadiennes: 1550-1650. Paris: LienArt.
ISBN 9782359061826.
4. Deverdun, Gaston (1959). Marrakech: Des origines à 1912. Rabat: Éditions Techniques Nord-
Africaines.
5. Jacobs, Daniel; McVeigh, Shaun (2010). The Rough Guide to Morocco. Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
p. 366.
6. "Badia Palace | Marrakesh, Morocco Attractions" (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/marr
akesh/attractions/badia-palace/a/poi-sig/1378645/1316370). Lonely Planet. Retrieved 12 May
2020.
7. Marçais, Georges (1954). L'architecture musulmane d'Occident. Paris: Arts et métiers
graphiques. pp. 395–396.
8. Wilbaux, Quentin (2001). La médina de Marrakech: Formation des espaces urbains d'une
ancienne capitale du Maroc. Paris: L'Harmattan. ISBN 2747523888.
9. Searight, Susan (1999). Maverick Guide to Morocco (https://archive.org/details/maverickguidet
om0000sear). LA, USA: Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 403 (https://archive.org/details/
maverickguidetom0000sear/page/403).
10. Erzini, Nadia; Vernoit, Stephen (2012). "The Marble spolia from the Badi' Palace in
Marrakesh". In Porter, Venetia; Rosser-Owen, Miriam (eds.). Metalwork and material culture in
the islamic world. Art, craft and text. Essays presented to James W. Allan. I. B. Tauris.
pp. 317–334.
11. Honnor, Julius (2012). Morocco Footprint Handbook (6 ed.). Footprint Travel Guides. p. 60.
12. "‫ لنجاة املريني‬،‫ عبد العزيز الفشتالي شعره‬- ‫( "دعوة الحق‬http://www.habous.gov.ma/daouat-alhaq/item/645
3). www.habous.gov.ma. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
External links
Page of the holy Qoran (http://www.omifacsimiles.com/brochures/koran.html), "executed in the
Mosque of the Al-Badi Palace in Marrakech, and finished on the 13th day of the month of
Rab'ia in the year 1008 after the Hegira during the reign of Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour, father of
moulay Zidan Abu Maali" retrieved on 20 December 2006)

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