El Badi Palace

The name el-Badi' (), typically translated as "the Incomparable", is one of the 99 Names of God in Islam. Ahmad al-Mansur may have chosen the name due to his own reputed piety, but also to reflect his intention to create a superlative palace to impress guests. The name also had historical precedents in Moorish palace architecture as it was used to designate one of the pavilions in the Caliph's palace in Cordoba, Spain (al-Andalus). == History ==

Background Prior to the reign of the Saadian sultan Moulay Abdallah al-Ghalib (ruled 1557–1574), the rulers of Marrakesh resided in the old Kasbah (citadel) built by the Almohad dynasty in the late 12th and early 13th century. According to the contemporary chronicler Marmol, Moulay Abdallah, a major builder in his time, was the first to build a new palace in the area where the El Badi Palace stands, along the northern edge of the Almohad kasbah near the Kasbah Mosque and the newly-begun Saadian Tombs. The palace's construction, along with al-Mansur's other projects, was probably funded by the substantial ransom paid by the Portuguese after the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578. The construction of the palace was a major enterprise. The sultan had workers and artisans brought from many regions, including Europe, to aid in the construction; so much so that a flourishing market established itself near the construction site to cater to the workers. In reality, the dismantlement of the palace likely occurred progressively over time, beginning well before 1707 and also continuing after Moulay Isma'il. The site was temporarily closed for repairs and was reopened to visitors in October 2023. == The Saadian royal complex ==

during Ahmad al-Mansur's rule. The Badi Palace, enclosing four pools and gardens, is visible in the upper right. The Saadian palaces formed a complex built inside the vast kasbah (citadel) on the south side of the city, originally laid out during the Almohad period under Caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur. Some of the various elements of the Saadian palaces may have already been built under Abdallah al-Ghalib, while Ahmad al-Mansur added to them and embellished them. The complex was entered via a "Grand Mechouar", a vast ceremonial square or courtyard, to the south of the Almohad-era Kasbah Mosque. The main gate of the royal palace was situated here and led to a smaller mechouar from which a long passage ran east to give access to the palace's various components. On the south side of this passage were most of the functional annexes of the palace, including kitchens, warehouses, the treasury, and stables. On the north side of the passage was the vast reception palace, the El Badi proper, along with the private quarters of the sultan and his family, their bathhouses (hammams), a private mosque, and the mint. Finally, beyond these structures, occupying the whole eastern side of the kasbah, were a number of pleasure gardens. These included the Crystal Garden (az-zujaj), the royal garden known as al-Mustaha ("the Desired") with a grand water basin, and the Qasr Garden or inner garden for al-Mansur's private quarters. Ahmad al-Mansur also renovated the vast Agdal Gardens to the south of the kasbah, originally created by the Almohads. The entire palace and citadel complex was surrounded by fortified walls, as in Almohad times and as still seen today. One curious feature inside the palace complex was a tall tower which is prominently depicted in descriptions of Marrakesh during the Saadian period but which was missing in the later Alawi era. Of uncertain origin, this structure may have been a private observation tower dating from either the Almohad or Saadian dynasty, used for the enjoyment of the sultan and similar to smaller elevated lookouts present in some aristocratic mansions in Marrakesh and Fes. (citadel and palaces), seen from the east, by Adriaen Matham, 1640. Among other features, the image shows a tall tower that once stood in the Saadian palaces, which later disappeared and whose origin has been debated among scholars.|alt=|center|500x500px == Architecture of El Badi ==

Layout circa 1622 (before its destruction), showing the various rooms, gardens, pools, and fountains The El Badi Palace itself was a reception palace where Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur hosted and received guests. The floor plan of the palace is essentially rectangular, centered around a huge courtyard (measuring 135 by 110 metres) with a central pool (measuring 90.4 by 21.7 metres). Each side of this rectangular courtyard had a large pavilion with a grand and ornate cupola (qubba), around which were other cupolas and structures. The two largest pavilions faced each other at the eastern and western ends of the courtyard. The western pavilion of the courtyard was known in Arabic as al-Qubbat al-Khamsiniya () named either after its surface area of some 50 cubits or the fact that it once featured 50 columns. It served as a reception hall or throne hall for the sultan. An alcove in the back wall of the chamber marks the spot where the sultan used to sit in attendance. Above this alcove was an Arabic inscription carved in black marble amidst the white marble covering the rest of the walls. Although the core structure of the palace's walls were made in rammed earth reinforced with a mixture of lime, the walls were covered with these expensive materials and elaborate decoration (though today they stand bare due to the palace's later ruin). The floors were paved with marble and zellij (mosaic tilework), the ceilings and capitals of the columns were gilded, and the walls were covered in intricately carved stucco with calligraphic inscriptions. The fragments of zellij which have been uncovered in modern excavations in the palace show that the Saadian craftsmen had created geometric patterns of even greater complexity than those of previous periods, including examples of twenty-pointed stars. The various gardens and pools featured fountains with jets of water, reminiscent of the role of water in the Andalusian architecture of the Alhambra (which appears to have had a noted influence on Saadian architecture generally) and requiring an underground hydraulic infrastructure of vaults and channels. ==See also==