An Apollonaut travel guide

Moments in a longer story.

Selected milestones in the history of Marrakech and the royal burial complex of the Saadian dynasty.

On this page

City, dynasty and monument

These dates describe the places you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Saadian Tombs.

1070–72
Marrakesh is founded
UNESCO dates the city’s Almoravid foundation to this period.
1557
A burial place for Muhammad al-Shaykh
The Ministry of Culture dates the creation of the necropolis by Abdallah al-Ghalib for his father to this year.
1574
Abdallah al-Ghalib is buried here
The Ministry’s monument history records the sultan’s burial in the complex.
1591
The burial of Lalla Messaouda
Ahmad al-Mansur buries his mother at the site and expands the architectural complex, according to the Ministry’s account.
1917
The monument is rediscovered
The Ministry records its rediscovery by the Fine Arts and Historic Monuments Service.
1985
The Medina joins the World Heritage List
UNESCO inscribes the Medina of Marrakesh.