As 16th-century Sultan Ahmed el-Mansour was paving the Badi Palace with gold, turquoise and crystal, his court jester wisecracked, ‘It’ll make a beautiful ruin’. That jester was no fool: 75 years later the place was looted. Today it’s hard to guess the glories of el-Badi (the Incomparable) from the vast courtyard, although its four sunken gardens and reflecting pools give a hint of its former majesty and make for instant atmosphere during the Festival of Popular Arts in July.
Check out the view of Marrakesh from atop the pisé ramparts, and the temporary exhibits of the new Marrakesh Museum of Photography & Visual Arts housed in the Khaysuran Pavilion on the south side of the courtyard.
El-Badi’s other key attraction is the Koutoubia minbar (prayer pulpit), its cedar-wood steps intricately inlaid with marquetry and gold and silver calligraphy by 12th-century Cordoban artisans.
To reach the entrance, head through Pl des Ferblantiers and turn right along the ramparts.
