A beautiful palace situated in the south of Marrakech’s historic medina, originally built between 1553-1578 by the Sadiaan king Ahmad al-Mansur to host guests and to act as a residence for him and his family as Marrakech was at the time the capital of Morocco the palace was extensively used. Today however the palace is a historical and cultural sight as opposed to a functioning royal palace with that function ending in the late 17th century when parts of the palace were pulled down so they could be used in the construction of a new palace for the sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif, who decided in order to overshadow the rulers who had come before him it was necessary to dismantle some of their palaces in order to make his all the more impressive. This means that today the palace is essentially a set of ruins, however to describe it merely as such is to insult the majesty of the site that greets one’s eyes upon entering into the complex, the majestic architecture may indeed not be what it once was, but that does not mean it is not still something to behold.
The interior of the Palace is huge with the ground split into four quadrants all containing olive trees around which one can walk. This gives the area a very organic feel and adds a nice splash of colour to the pink and sandy walls, this in contrast to the two large pools which go down the centre of the square give the palace a majestic look and one can certainly put their mind back to the times of the sultans as they walk along the pathways that cross the area of the former palace.
Entrance to the palace is a very reasonable 10 Dirhams meaning that one can take in the cultural and historic sights of this amazing place for less than a pound. This can be combined with a ticket to also gain entrance to the Koutoubia Mosque when purchased for the combined price of 20 Dirhams making a combination of the two a very financially reasonable prospect. The palace is also a mere 10 minutes walk from the central square Jemaa el Fna and 15 minute walk from our wonderful Riads. Such a short walking distance and such accessibility is one of the great things about having Riads in the heart of Marrakech’s historic Medina. Book a room today to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities.
