Moroccan riad been bought by foreigners. This foreign interest has brought new challenges but the investment has helped with the restoration of the UNESCO site and has helped revive many of the handcrafts and artisan trades that were gradually being lost before this trend. Many of the restored riads in the districts of Mouassine and Lakssour offer the finest examples of restoration as historically these areas contained many of the grand palaces from Marrakech's Saadian period. Moroccan riad A riad () is a type of traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad originates from the
James A. Burden House an Italian Renaissance-style townhouse, embellished by French-inspired detailing around the windows and balcony. In 1907, the New York Times wrote: "so perfectly is the French idea carried out at the Burden residence ... the only way one can enter is through a courtyard ... [the central stairway has] a tread so low and wide that one ascends ... without being conscious of any effort." In 1938, the contents of the house were auctioned by Parke-Bernet. The Convent of the Sacred Heart purchased the mansion in 1940. It now serves as the location of the Convent of the Sacred Heart's lower