Inside the Chamber of the Twelve Columns
I was queuing up at the Saadian Tombs to apparently look at something. The queue stretches all the way to the eastern mausoleum and it snakes around the necropolis, depending on what time of the day you come. I was there almost noon time and I had to start at the Eastern Mausoleum. The line wasn’t very quick in moving and I was wondering why it was taking so long. I noticed that people would come out of the same doorway they entered. This was strange. Apparently, this used to be a window where people would offer their prayers. These days, it has been expanded so that there is a little more room but not that much.
Queuing up to the Chamber of the Twelve Columns
The door would let visitors in the main chamber only to be blocked immediately by another fence. It is here where you can see the Chamber of the Twelve Columns. There is only room for two or a maximum of three people here. I had to bend down so I can get out of the way of the person beside me. It was tough taking photos here. Still, I took my time, people weren’t really checking to see if you are already done. Most people would take their photos and leave immediately.
Ceiling of the Chamber of the Twelve Columns
The Chamber of the Twleve Columns is the main mausoleum and this is where the Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur was buried. As you can see, the chamber is richly decorated. The chamber is so named for the twelve columns that can be found here. What is interesting and not obvious was the skill that went into building this thing. The columns appear to be made of marble but the ones above the columns apparently are not. They were made such that they look like they were marble. This is another example excellence Moroccan craftsmanship. Even the roof was given much care as well. It wasn’t very bright in the chamber but at the same time the lighting that was actually there wasn’t optimally placed either.
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