Mouassine Medina — Uncover the Palaces' Hidden Conspiracy

Your quest begins at the Koutoubia Gardens, a 7-hectare green lung created in 1962 by Jacques Majorelle, restored in 2016. Facing the Koutoubia Mosque, whose 77-meter minaret was completed in 1147 by Abd al-Mu'min of the Almohads, you examine the 15,000 rose bushes in its rose garden. This historic site of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, served as an architectural model for the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. The surrounding pastures were prohibited from construction until 1957 by royal decree, thus preserving the setting of this Almohad wonder of Marrakech-Safi.

The route then leads you to the heart of the Mouassine Quarter, founded in the 17th century under the Saadian dynasty. Here, patrician riads bear witness to the opulence of the era. The Mouassine Fountain, built in 1574, is an example of Saadian art, with its zellige and carved cedar. This Saadian historical monument, restored in 2007, draws its water from the Atlas springs via the khettaras. Nearby, the Riad Mouassine Museum, opened in 2014, offers insight into 16th-17th century Maghrebi architecture, essential for understanding the history of Marrakech and the medina.

Your investigation continues at the Bahia Palace, an 8,000 m² edifice built between 1866 and 1868 by Si Moussa Ba Ahmed, vizier of Sultan Moulay Hassan. Its 160 rooms, gardens, and zellige pools reveal clues. This palace, open to the public since 1985 and restored by ICOMOS, saw Moulay Ismaïl (1672-1727) plunder materials from El Badi Palace, illustrating the power struggles of the time. Understanding these transfers is crucial to unraveling the plot hanging over the heritage of Marrakech-Safi.

You then explore the ruins of El Badi Palace, erected from 1578 to 1593 by Ahmed al-Mansour. Its cost, estimated at 12 years of tax revenue, and the materials used – 26 tons of gold, Italian marble, Swedish granite, Lebanese cedars – highlight its past grandeur. Dismantled from 1672 by Moulay Ismaïl to enrich Meknes, only ruins remain today, such as the rooms of the 360 pillars and the 1350 m² pool hall. This site is a striking testament to the wealth and rapid disappearance of an era of Marrakech's Saadian historical monument.

Your journey concludes at the Saadian Tombs, built in the late 16th century for Ahmed al-Mansour and his family, housing 66 tombs. The Hall of Twelve Columns, with its Italian marble pillars and painted cedar ceilings, was rediscovered in 1917 by Thubron and opened to the public in the 1960s. These burials, whose materials were also plundered by Moulay Ismaïl in 1672, seal the end of the Saadian dynasty and the rise of the Alaouites. By following this thematic circuit of Marrakech, you will have not only solved the conspiracy but also discovered the rich heritage of the Marrakech Medina, a UNESCO 1985 site where every street corner is a living page of history.