Source: Nuzhat al-Hadi & Escorial Manuscript Catalog
Politics • Historical Archive • 🇲🇦 Morocco • 4 views

Abu al-Ma'ali Zaydan al-Nasir ibn Ahmad 🇲🇦

زيدان الناصر السعدي (Known as "Zaydan Abu al-Ma'ali")
Saadian Sultan of Marrakech, Scholar-King, Bibliophile
Born c. 1575 🇲🇦 Marrakech, Morocco
Passed Away September 1627 Marrakech, Morocco
Lifespan ~52 years old
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Notice / Correction
"Though an ocean claims the manuscripts, the memory of royal learning endures forever."

Archival Overview

Saadian Sultan (1603–1627) renowned as an erudite scholar whose legendary 4,000-volume royal library was captured by Spanish privateers in 1612 and remains the core of the Escorial Arabic manuscript collection.

Biographical Record

Zaydan al-Nasir was one of the most scholarly sons of Ahmad al-Mansur ad-Dhahabi. Ascending the throne amidst succession wars with his brothers, Zaydan ruled Marrakech with cultured distinction, authoring legal and historical treatises while assembling an unrivaled imperial library.

In 1612, while fleeing an insurrection, he chartered a French vessel to transport his library to Agadir; the ship was captured by Spanish corsairs, and the priceless collection was presented to King Philip III of Spain, where it remains the bedrock of the world-famous Royal Library of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial
Saadian Tombs (Royal Necropolis)
Marrakech, Morocco
GPS: 31.6173, -7.9893
View on Memory Atlas
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