Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty

Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty was a Moroccan emperor who lived during 1672–1727. The Alawite sultan is said to have sired 888 children (548 sons and 340 daughters) through a harem of 500 women throughout his life. The capital city he built is sometimes called the "Versailles of Morocco", because of its extravagance.

During Ismail's reign, Morocco's capital city was moved from Marrakech to Meknes. Inspired by the decadence of King Louis XIV of France, Ismail began construction of an elaborate imperial palace, and other monuments. At its peak, Ismail's empire spread from present day Algeria to Mauritania.

The success of his empire was not without cost. Ismail is noted as one of the greatest figures in Moroccan history, well known for his legendary cruelty. In order to intimidate rival tribles, Ismail ordered that his city walls be adorned with 10,000 heads of slain enemies. Legends of the ease in which Ismail could behead or torture laborers or servants he thought to be lazy are numerous. Within 20 years of Ismail's rule, 30,000 people died.

Moulay Ismail enlisted over 25,000 Christian prisoners and 30,000 common criminals as laborers in the construction of his great city. Over 16,000 slaves from sub-Saharan Africa were captured to serve in his elite Black Guard. By Ismail's death, the guard had grown tenfold, the largest in Moroccan history.

After Ismail's death, his grandson, Mohammad III moved the capital back to Marrakech, and stripped Meknes of much of its riches to build the new imperial city. Ismail's grand mausoleum is open even to non-Muslims as a testament to the greatness of this effective, however barbaric ruler.