• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Of Muses and Meringues

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Bars and Squares
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Brownies and Blondies
    • Cakes and Cupcakes
    • Candy
    • Cookies
    • Easy Entrees
    • Fruit Desserts
    • Lemon and Lime Desserts
    • Miscellaneous Desserts
    • Muffins
    • Pies
    • Salads and Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Recipes Inspired by Musicals
  • Travel Index
  • Poetry Index
  • Writing Links
  • About My Books
  • About Me

September 27, 2012

Thursday’s Child: El Badi Palace, Marrakech

You might wonder why I’m featuring El Badi Palace as the final post in my tribute to amazing architecture that we’ve seen on our travels.  There isn’t much left of this palace in Marrakech, but when it was intact, it was an architectural marvel. 
El Badi translates as “The Incomparable”, and when it was built it was breathtaking in its opulence.  Commissioned by Sa’did Sharif Ahmad al-Mansur in the sixteenth century, no expense was spared.  Only the finest materials were used, including Italian marble, ivory, exquisitely-carved woodwork, gold and onyx.  Paths were paved in terracotta tiles, as were roofs of the surrounding pavilions.  The main hall in one of the pavilions was flanked by fifty enormous columns.  In the courtyard, a cluster of swimming pools was framed by four sunken orange gardens.
This was a building that should have stood forever.
But that’s not what happened.  A mere century later El Badi was torn apart, plundered for its precious materials so another ruler could build his own palace.
This is what remains: a courtyard with foundations of the pavilions, and four gardens which still blossom with the scent of orange.  A few denuded walls still stand, where storks have built their nests in the gaps.
This poem wasn’t inspired by El Badi, but I couldn’t help but think of it as I witnessed the ruins of this once-majestic palace:
Ozymandius
I met a traveller from an antique land 

Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone 

Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, 

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, 

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, 

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read 

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, 

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; 

And on the pedestal these words appear: 

“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: 

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” 

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare 

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
– Percy Bysshe Shelley

Filed Under: Morocco

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. amy (fearless homemaker) says

    September 27, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    Two of our friends (who we're coincidentally having dinner with tonight) went to Marrakech a few months ago + I loved hearing about their travels there. I wish we could've seen El Badi during it's height – i bet it was absolutely awe-inspiring!

    Reply
  2. Gloria says

    September 27, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    what amazing and beautiful pics! is nice travel with you Beth LOL

    Reply
  3. Valerie says

    September 27, 2012 at 6:15 pm

    Hopefully what's left of this beautiful palace will stay in tact!

    The poem fits perfectly with your photos and descriptive words. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Carol says

    September 27, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    Wonderful poem, so fitting. I can just imagine how majestic the palace was. The ruins look beautiful and vast.

    Reply
  5. Caryn Caldwell says

    September 27, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    I love it, and I can definitely see why you would feature it. It's beautiful in its decay, and I can imagine how amazing it must have looked in its time. As for those oranges? So cool!

    Reply
  6. bakewithjill.com says

    September 27, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    How neat that there are still orange trees there! Even as a ruin, the palace is still amazing.

    Reply
  7. Belinda says

    September 27, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    This is one of the must travel to spots for me – thanks for the inspiration!!

    Reply
  8. Rebecca Subbiah says

    September 27, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    love your travel post and fun to imagine how things were in their prime

    Reply
  9. Barbara says

    September 27, 2012 at 11:55 pm

    Very fitting poem, Beth. Such a shame beauty like that is lost, but wonderful to stand there amid the orange trees and imagine.

    Reply
  10. Anna says

    September 28, 2012 at 3:33 am

    I've loved seeing all this architecture – I love the vision of what this must have been in all its glory.

    Reply
  11. Lizzy Do says

    September 28, 2012 at 12:38 pm

    Gosh, this must have been spectacular in its day…even the framework is impressive. Have a great weekend, Beth.

    Reply
  12. yummychunklet says

    September 28, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Wonderful post!

    Reply
  13. Guru Uru says

    September 28, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    Stunning location and scenery my friend 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  14. Jess says

    September 29, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    I love reading these posts on historical architecture! Beautiful photos (that orange one makes me want to visit an orange grove) and a beautiful poem.

    Reply
  15. grace says

    September 29, 2012 at 6:14 pm

    the only reason i know marrakech exists is because of crosby, stills, and nash. 🙂 incidentally, i'm thinking of naming my firstborn son ozymandius. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Catherine says

    September 29, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Dear Beth, I love history and imagining the life that was.
    Thank you for introducing me to this palace and stirring my imagination.
    Blessings dear for a lovely weekend. Catherine xo

    Reply
  17. Claire Davis says

    September 29, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    How interesting, funny how it's true that earthly treasures don't last 🙂 I bet this was still amazing to see.

    Reply
  18. Food Gal says

    September 30, 2012 at 3:07 am

    So sad that not more of it remains. Truly a shame. But at least part of it still stands for us to admire through your great photos.

    Reply
  19. Kitcheninspirations says

    October 14, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    We stayed in a lovely Riad right across from one of the still standing walls last November; it was quite an experience.

    Reply
  20. marufhosen says

    April 8, 2013 at 3:41 am

    Nice article and great knowledge. Thanks for the share. I love this story and enjoy with your words!
    red onyx tile

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Gloria Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Connect Online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Welcome
  • Categories
  • Archives
Welcome to Of Muses and Meringues. Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth! Writer, traveller, baker, mother.
Categories
Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Of Muses and Meringues · designed by blogger boutique · Genesis Framework