Exploring the Marinid Tombs

Entering the Marinid Tomb

Entering the Marinid Tomb

The Marinid Tombs are a spectacular monument build on a hill overlooking the medina of Fès. These are the resting places of the former rulers of Fès where they established a dynasty here in the thirteenth century. They decided that the hill would be the perfect final resting place for them as they overlook Fès. The tombs weren’t in great shape though, parts of the tomb have already fallen into disrepair and it doesn’t seem like there would be plans to preserve them. The site is totally open and anyone can just come up to it. The tombs are open from the front but there isn’t much to see here.

Inside the Marinid Tomb

Inside the Marinid Tomb

The interesting parts of the tombs are higher up where some parts haven’t eroded away yet. You can see some detail here where there are remains of some carvings and ultimately how grand it must have been back then. I imagined that the dry climate of this area would have been made preserving these monument much easier. Then again, I don’t know what could have happened over the centuries that the tombs weren’t maintained that much. Looking at these tombs, it reminds me of some desert ruins when I would see in television. I would probably be nice if they were restored to their former grandeur.

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