El Badi Palace, Marrakesh

Rigorously razed during the 17th century by Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail to use its luxurious materials for the edification of buildings in Meknes, the El Badi Palace, or rather its ruin, still tells of great splendor. It was the Saadian Sultan Ahmed El Mansour who ordered the palace built after the 1578 victory against the Portuguese in the Battle of the Three Kings. All that remains of the "incomparable" palace (as it was once called) are remains of the ceremonial buildings. These now serve as venues for the annual Festival National des Arts Populaires, the country's biggest folklore and music festival.