Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Tombs are a royal necropolis in the Kasbah of Marrakech and one of the city's most important monuments from the Saadian period. The site contains the graves of members of the Saadian dynasty, including Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur and members of his family. Although burials existed here before his reign, Ahmad al-Mansur transformed the necropolis in the late 16th century with richly decorated mausoleums. The complex is renowned for its carved cedar wood, stucco, marble columns, geometric tilework and the celebrated Chamber of the Twelve Columns. After the fall of the Saadian dynasty, the tombs became largely enclosed and were eventually brought to wider modern attention in the early 20th century.