The Qasr al-Muhannasha area was more elaborate but organized in a more "rational" or regular way than the Dar al-Kebira.[3][2] It was roughly divided into eight quadrilateral courtyards and gardens.[3][3] The palace was used for official receptions as well as the imperial administration, with many offices for the staff of the makhzen.[4][5][21]:267 The complex was entered via what is today Bab al-Makhzen an outer gate to the east decorated with colourful tiles and zellij.[18][19] The gate is preceded by a large open square which acted as another mechouar, which is also accessed via Bab an-Na'ura, a gate of the former Kasbah Hadrash.[6]:40, 46–47 One of the main courtyards in the eastern end of the palace, near the gate, was the Riyad al-Muhannasha, a garden courtyard which contained a water basin with a labyrinth or serpentine shape which gave the rest of the palace its name.[16][18][21] (Although scholar Marianne Barrucand, who authored the main study of the kasbah, disputes this etymology; the name may have rather been inspired by the palace's multi-part divisions.[1][3])