El Bahia Palace, Marrakesh

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This palace is quite close to the Jemma el Fna square. It has some amazing decorations inside, on the floors, walls and ceilings. Some of the tiling done in the palace looks really nice. There are plenty of places inside that provide a nice shade in the summers heat.

The palace looks nice but it is in desperate need of restoration and if this was done it would look a million times better.

There was an entrance fee of 10 dirhams.

Palais De La Bahia is a private palace dating to the 19th century. With decorated rooms and ceilings, mosaic fireplaces, beautiful gardens and patios, Palais De La Bahia was the prettiest place we saw in Marrakech. Even had a harem!

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Palais Bahia translates as Palace of the Favourite.

Built in two stages or parts at the end of the 19th century by two powerful grand viziers - the older part built by Si Moussa, the vizier of Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abderrahman, and the newer part of the two built by Si Moussa's son, Ba Ahmed, vizier of Moulay Abdelaziz.

The older part contains apartments around a marble-paved courtyard and an open courtyard with cypress and orange trees and jasmine, with 2 star shaped pools.

The newer part is a huge palace complex containing luxurious apartments looking onto courtyards planted with trees. The best craftsmen in the kingdom were apparently hired to build and decorate this palace and it is decorated with prized materials such as marble from Meknes, cedar from the Middle Atlas and tiles from Tetouan.

The main courtyard, once used by the vizier's concubines, is paved with marble and zellij tilework, with 3 fountains and surrounded by a gallery of finely fluted columns. This courtyard faces the main reception room with a cedar ceiling painted with arabesque.

I have visited the Bahia on two occasions - the first was quite rushed and I always after wanted to come back for a better look! When I finally returned last year I needed about 1 and a half to 2 hours to adequately see and photograph this beautiful complex!

Entrance is still only 10 dirham - approximately 1 euro
Check if it definitely closes for a lunchbreak from about 1230 to 230 pm each day. Opens early before 9am and closes 6pm.

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There are two other courtyards with jasmine, cypress, lemon and orange trees. It is believed that Ba Hmad, Sdid Moussa’s son, received government representatives in these areas. Zellij tile work is laid out in beautiful designs on the floor of the courtyards and surround small fountains.

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During the 1900’s, the French conquered Marrakesh and Marshal Lyautey used the Palace as his residence. During this time he chose to update and modernise the complex.
Decorations take the form of subtle stucco panels, zellij decorations, tiled floors, smooth arches, carved-cedar ceilings, shiny marble (tadlak) finishes and zouak painted ceilings.

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The palace is made up of 160 rooms opening off a maze of passageways and corridors. The bedrooms of the Harem varied in size depending on their importance. Some one thousand tradesmen were transported from Fez to work on the huge task which took around 15 years to complete

The Palace is also a favourite roosting ground for storks, seen all along the palace walls.

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The Grand Vizier was a large man and not fit enough to climb stairs and so he had the entire Palace build solely on one level. Marble was brought in from Meknes, the cedarwood came from the Middle Atlas and the beautiful tiles came from Tetounan.

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Bahia Palace’s name has two meanings ‘Place of the Favourite” or “Palace of the Beautiful”. It was designed by Muhammad al-Mekki and built around 1880 for the wives and concubines of Ahmed Ibn Moussa who was the Grand Vizier to Moulay Hassan. He wanted it to be the largest palace in Morocco. Around the outside of the palace buildings are 8 hectares of gardens. There is an admission charge.

Opening hours: Wed-Mon 0830-1145 and 1430-1745.