Saadian Tombs

I found myself going to the Saadian Tombs which is, apparently, one of the most popular places in the medina of Marrakesh. I had some challenges looking for this very popular place and I thought that it would be very obvious where it is. However, it is hidden behind the Kasbah Mosque. To access the Saadian Tombs, you would need to pass through a narrow alley which leads to the ticket booth for the tombs. There were several people queuing up for the ticket but I thought it was okay. This all changed when I entered the grounds of the Saadian Tombs. There were hundreds of people in the tomb complex. The queue of people was snaking around half of the tomb complex and I had to start at the far corner of the main area.

The Saadian Tombs are the resting place of the rulers of Morroco during the Saadian dynasty. When they conquered the city of Marrakesh, the Saadians made it their capital. The current site of the Saadian Tombs was made into the royal necropolis. I was a bit surprised by this since I would have thought a necropolis would be outside the city. This is not unlike the Christian practice of burying the dead in or near the church. Indeed, it is common to see important people even royalty buried in important cathedrals in Europe. This is the first time I have seen a necopolis like this. Even the tombstones look very different. The tomb stones are all fenced off so people won’t be trampling all over them. For now, I would have to find something to amuse myself with since the queue seem to be taking its time to move.

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