Palais El Badi

Built between 1578 and 1594 by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, El Badi Palace ("the Incomparable") was one of the most sumptuous residences of the Islamic world. Renowned for its vast courtyards, marble pools and rich ornamentation, it was largely stripped of its treasures in the 17th century. Today its impressive ruins, open to the sky in the heart of Marrakech, bear witness to the splendour of the palace.

Book your e-ticket (electronic ticket) online: you pay the Ministry of Culture's official price plus a €1.99 service fee, and you receive your ticket and your digital guide by email, usually within 3 hours. The digital guide, included with every ticket, offers an illustrated visit guide, a narrative account and an audio reading of 10 points of interest, in five languages. You visit the palace at your own pace, straight from your phone, with no group and no set schedule.

El Badi pairs naturally with the Saadian Tombs, a few minutes' walk away: the skip-the-line Badi + Saadian pass, or the 3- or 4-monument pass with the Bahia and the Almoravid Dome, brings tickets and audio guides together, with no visit date and valid for 12 months.

Good to know: restoration works are under way in several monuments in Marrakech. Some parts of the palace may be temporarily closed to the public or rearranged; the official ticket office does not list the accessible areas, so check before your visit.