El Badi Palace

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Photo by flickr user elyob

The name of this palace translates to mean 'The Incomparable Palace', though sadly now only the remains of it's original incomparable-ness survive. Built by the Saadian King, Ahmad al-Mansur in the 16th Century, it originally had 360 rooms arranged around a courtyard with a mirror pool, and everything was done up in the most beautiful marble with gold finishings, loosely based on Granada's Alhambra, but these days it's just a shell of its former self in lovely crumbling sandstone. You can still see the main pool, and the four others just off it which help feed the orange orchards. The palace wasn't ruined though neglect, its treasures were stolen for use in another palace.

Part of the palace has been made into a museum, but it doesn't have treasures from the place in its collection, it has pieces from the Koutoubia Mosque.

It's closed for lunch in the middle of the day but reopens in the afternoon. There are onsite guides who will show you around but they're not formally employed so should definitely be tipped.

Written by  Esther Blume.

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