Journal / History

Art, history & heritage

A royal palace.
A Marrakech landmark.

El Badi Palace brings vast courtyards, surviving walls and Saadian history together in the heart of Marrakech.

The courtyard and surviving walls of El Badi Palace
The surviving walls and courtyard of El Badi Palace.

A royal foundation

El Badi Palace was built for the Saadian sultan Ahmed al-Mansur between 1578 and 1593. Its scale still offers a way to imagine the ambition of the royal residence.

Historic wall surfaces at El Badi Palace
The entrance to El Badi Palace

A monumental courtyard

Pavilions were arranged around a large rectangular courtyard with a central pool. Look at the relationship between its open spaces and surviving structures as you follow the visitor route.

A heritage landmark

The Moroccan Ministry of Culture records the palace’s national heritage listing on 18 July 1923. Explore the remains with care, respecting the site and the visitor guidance in place.

Historic wall surfaces at El Badi Palace
Photography credits

Authentic photographs of El Badi Palace in Marrakech, Morocco. Images are proportionally resized and responsively cropped; no endorsement by the photographers is implied. Adapted CC BY-SA photographs remain available under their respective licences.