El Badi Palace, Marrakech (must see)

El Badi Palace is one of the city’s most evocative historical sites—less a traditional palace today than a grand ruin that invites the imagination to travel back to Morocco’s golden age. It was commissioned in the late 16th century by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the Saadian dynasty, who ordered its construction after his victory over the Portuguese at the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578. Built with the finest materials available—Italian marble, gold from Sudan, carved cedarwood, and onyx—it took roughly 25 years to complete and was intended to symbolize the sultan’s wealth, power, and refined taste. Its name, “El Badi,” meaning “The Incomparable,” reflects that ambition.

In its prime, the palace featured more than 300 rooms, vast reception halls, sunken gardens, fountains, pavilions, and a massive courtyard surrounded by richly decorated chambers. Diplomats and dignitaries described it as one of the most magnificent residences of its time. However, its glory was short-lived. When the Alaouite dynasty came to power in the 17th century, Sultan Moulay Ismail stripped El Badi of its precious materials to embellish his own palace in Meknes, leaving behind the monumental shell that still stands today.

The enormous courtyard with its pools and orange trees remains the palace's focal point. The courtyard is hard to miss as its size is almost two hectars. A water basin sits at the center and is surrounded by four sunken gardens that can be accessed by stairs. Upon entering the palace, the best vantage point is a terrace immediately on the left that offers sweeping views of the palace's elements and the surrounding old town.

Throughout the palace's ruins, remnants of carved decor, fragments of tilework, and traces of stucco work hint at former splendor. Despite the loss of its former embellishments, the palace is enlivened by a colony of storks who made the ruins' ramparts their home. They truly have some good taste.

El Badi Palace invites you to explore its treasures that have been taken away by time. Fill the gaps by using your imagination and you are in for a memorable experience.