West Building

English , West building , This funeral complex was built by the sa'adian Sultan Ahmad Al Mansour (1578-1603) to bury his body. It consists of three interconnecting rooms: The Mihrab room, the Twelve Columns room and The Three Niches room., The Mihrab room: , Originally, this room was dedicated to prayer. From the XVIII century, it became a sumptuous burial place for Alaouite tombs. This room is divided into three naves parallels to the wall of the Qibla, in wich is dug a pentagonal niche (mihrab) capped by a horse arch which is supported by four pillars of grey marble. It leads to The Twelve Columns room via an entrance topped by an Muqarnas arch (Stalactites). The wooden door of this room contains an inscription dedicated to the Saadian Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour., The Twelve Columns room: , The middle room known as The Chamber of Twelve Columns, is the most luxurious room of this funeral complex. It revolves around a cupola which rests on four groups of three marble pillars from Italy which support a ceiling of sculpted cedar wood, decorated with grand Muqarnas arches. The walls are covered with glazed earthenware crowned with Koranic friezes. This room shelters the remains of the creator of this funerary ensemble Ahmed Al Mansour, and those of his son Zidan and his immediate successors., The Room of the three Niches: , This room communicates with the room of Twelve columns, by two openings. In the north wall are dug three niches with Muqarnas arches. The walls of the room are covered with glazy traditional Zellij enhanced by two coranic friezes. One in excised Zellij (earthenware) motifs and the other in stucco. The room is covered with a succession of cedar ceilings. It contains, a commemorative stele dedicated to Sultan Abdallah Al Ghalib who is buried in The Qubba of Lalla Massaouda. ,