Saadian Tombs

The tombs sit in a walled garden beside the Kasbah Mosque. Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib founded the necropolis in 1557 for his father, Muhammad al-Shaykh, founder of the Saadian dynasty.

Ahmad al-Mansur buried his mother, Lalla Messaouda, here in 1591 and enlarged and decorated the site. Later sultans used it too, including the Alaouite Moulay al-Yazid, who died in 1792.

Walled off for generations, the complex was rediscovered by the French Beaux-Arts service in 1917. Look for the marble tombstones, zellige and carved cedar in the two mausoleums.

The main chamber is seen from a doorway, one small group at a time, so a queue forms quickly. The whole site is small.