Bahia Palace is one of the most luxurious palaces in the city of Marrakech, located in the Old Town, near the Mellah market. The Palace of the Beauty (this is how the name of the palace is translated) was built by order of Ahmed Ben Moussa, the grand vizier and regent under the young Sultan Abd al Aziz, for his wives and concubines. The work was carried out from 1859 to 1900, in several stages. The plan of the palace changed several times, as the Grand Vizier constantly annexed neighboring plots of land, the total area of which eventually amounted to 8 hectares. Most of the chambers were completed separately, as a result of which the palace began to resemble a huge labyrinth, consisting of living quarters, courtyards with galleries, gardens, pavilions and outbuildings. The palace was built in the Arab-Andalusian style, the author of the project is the architect Mohamed bin Makki al-Misfui, who was also entrusted with the design of the interiors. The inconspicuous walls surrounding the palace hid from prying eyes the wealth and splendor of one of the most beautiful palaces in Morocco - citrus, jasmine and cypress gardens with fountains and openwork gazebos, a large courtyard "Court of Honor", paved with marble slabs and zelige tiles, arched galleries , secluded courtyards, carved columns, facades with exquisite ornaments and stucco. The interior of the palace premises was even more magnificent - painted cedar ceilings, carved doors, mosaic panels, onyx fountain bowls, openwork grilles, fireplaces, sculptures. Not one of the 160 rooms of the palace was like another; the size of the chambers and the splendor of the decor directly depended on the vizier’s favor towards one or another concubine. To decorate the palace, marble was delivered from Meknes (in turn, it was brought to Meknes from Italy), cedar was brought from the Atlas mountain region, and tiles were brought from Tetouan. About a thousand of the best artisans and craftsmen from Fez worked on the construction of the palace for several years. The Bahia Palace was literally drowning in luxury; the Sultan himself was jealous of its wealth. In 1900, just a few hours after the death of Ba Ahmed, Sultan Abd al Aziz ordered the removal of furniture and all decorative elements from the palace. Beauty's palace was devastated. Only a small fraction of its former luxury has survived to this day; the reception hall, first floor chambers and the “marble” courtyard are available for visiting. But this is enough to imagine the former splendor of the palace.
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In the rich and mysterious East, in northern Africa, in hospitable and mysterious Morocco, there is one of its main pearls - ancient Marrakech. Huge palaces, beautiful mosques, cool oases, oriental sweets, Scheherazade's tales - all this is Marrakech, the third largest city in the country.
One of the main and most beautiful attractions of Marrakech, located in the Medina, is the fairly young (1880) Bahia Palace (Palais de la Bahia), or, translated, “Palace of the Beauty”. It was built for one of the four wives of the harem by Bu Ahmed Sidi Moussa, the grand vizier of the rulers Moulay Hassan and Moulay Abd al-Aziz. The Moorish-style palace is well preserved and covers an area of eight hectares.
The courtyards, decorated with elegant ornaments, hedges, shady alleys, and splashing neat fountains keep many secrets.
Sidi Moussa wanted to present his beloved wife with the most magnificent and beautiful palace in the country, although subsequently 3 more wives of the vizier and 24 of his concubines lived here. Therefore, during the seven years of its construction, the architect Al-Haj Mohamed ben Makki al-Misfui completed and rebuilt the palace more than once due to the fact that the Grand Vizier was constantly buying new neighboring plots. Materials (tiles, marble and others) were brought from all over the state.
The common Arabic philosophy about home says that everything personal should be kept away from prying and unkind eyes, and to yourself, so as not to arouse the envy of others. So the Bahia Palace is completely unremarkable in appearance, even dull, but this impression is too deceptive.
Inside it is a magic box, where the rooms are arranged like a labyrinth without a clear layout. The interior of the palace is stunning in its unsurpassed quality: decorated ceilings and cedar wood doors, beautiful traditional mosaics are combined with stone and wood carvings - everything is admirable.
The courtyards, decorated with elegant ornaments, hedges, shady alleys, and splashing neat fountains keep many secrets. According to legend, the courtyards in the palace are located so that concubines do not meet each other while walking around the house. So it was a difficult task for the architect. Unfortunately, the luxurious furnishings of the Bahia Palace have not reached us.
The palace was built by almost a thousand workers from Fez. And when the construction was completed, the Sultan himself began to envy the vizier, since the Beauty’s palace surpassed all the palaces in Morocco in sophistication and beauty. Immediately after the death of the vizier in 1900, by order of Sultan Abd al-Aziz, the Bahia Palace was destroyed and plundered.
How to get to Bahia Palace
There is a jewelry market on Riad Zitoun El Jdid. Directly opposite it is the Bahia Palace.
Opening hours of Bahia Palace
You can plunge into the sophistication of the palace interiors, decorated with mosaics, see the wonderful courtyard, a garden with orange trees, and a fountain every day from 8:00 to 11:45 and from 14:30 to 16:30 for only 11 MAD.
Today, unfortunately, not all parts of the palace (more than 150 rooms) are open to guests - only the first floor. But this wonderful place, lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets of the Medina, attracts tourists and gives, in addition to a lot of impressions, an idea of the life of the richest Moroccans a couple of centuries ago.
Prices on the page are as of September 2018.
Bahia Palace is one of the most majestic and beautiful palaces in Marrakech. The Bahia Palace or “Palace of the Beauty” was built as a gift for his beloved wife by order of the Grand Vizier of Sultan Muhammad IV, Sidi Moussa.
History of origin
The construction of the palace took place in the 19th century. Construction took place in two stages. Its northern part was built between 1859 and 1876 at the behest of Sidi Moussa. The southern part of the palace was built by order of his son Ba Ahmed, in 1894 - 1900. As the palace expanded, so did the territory it occupied - additional lands were constantly being bought up. When the construction of the palace was completed, it turned out that the Bahia Palace was more beautiful and richer than the Sultan's palace. That is why, when Ba Ahmed died, the palace was plundered by Sultan Abd al-Aziz. However, the story of the Bahia Palace did not end there, and 12 years later the residence of Lyautey, the governor of the Moroccan colony, was made here.
Architecture
According to Arab philosophy, everything personal should be hidden from the outside eye. So, from the outside the palace seems rather boring, however, from the inside it looks like a beautiful mosaic, striking in its beauty. Since the palace was built over several years, it lost a clear layout. The palace has many rooms that form a labyrinth. The layout of the palace was thought out so that the wives of Sidi Moussa would not intersect. Also, from the living rooms for official receptions, you will never get into the owner’s personal chambers. In total there are 150 rooms in the palace.
The architecture of Marrakech is clearly expressed in the design of the palace. The interior decoration of the palace is very rich. There are ceramic tiles, marble, cedar and zilijam. These materials were brought for construction from all over northern Africa. The decoration is made in the form of mosaics and carvings, the columns are decorated with arabesques, and the windows are decorated with beautiful bars made of wood. The council hall, one of the ceremonial halls of the palace, is particularly striking in its splendor, the decoration of which is made of cedar wood. The doors of the hall lead to the front entrance, the floor of which is made of marble, and in the center there is a marble fountain.
Today, the palace building is used not only for excursions, but also for concerts and exhibitions.
Neighborhood
The entire territory of the Bahia Palace, which covers 8 hectares, is decorated with beautiful gardens with orange and banana trees and marble fountains. There is also a mosque, hammam and stables here. Next to the Bahia Palace is the Moroccan Craftsmen's Square, where they sell Moroccan lamps, furniture and souvenirs. This square leads to the Badia Palace.
Not far from the Bahia Palace are the following famous attractions of Marrakech: the Dar Si Said Museum of Islamic Art, the ruins of the El Badi Palace, the Bab Agmat Gate and others.
Note to tourists
You can get to the Bahia Palace along Riad Zitoun El Jdid Street. You can visit the attraction and admire the beauty of the palace from 8:30 to 11:45 and from 14:45 to 17:45 daily. A visit will cost 10 mad. When the royal family visits Marrakesh, the palace is closed to the public.
Perhaps the Bahia Palace can be called a real masterpiece of Moroccan architecture. Such a magnificent structure was erected for two officials who served under the rulers Si Moussa and Bakhmad in the 19th century. Like many examples of the Arab-Andalusian style, Bahia has a magnificent garden, a charming patio, a large number of chambers, decorated with elegant stucco and wooden ceilings with inlay.
With royal luxury
The older half of the palace consists of a garden with fountains, oranges, cypresses and banana trees. Two exquisitely decorated rooms, covered with ceramic tiles, surround the beautiful garden, maintaining all the privacy of this part of the complex.
The new part was built under Sultan Abd al-Aziz for the 4 wives and 24 concubines of the vizier Ahmed Ben Moussa. The creation was created by the famous architect Muhammad bin Al-Makki al-Misfiwi, whose hand can be seen in the finishing of materials brought from all over North Africa.
The splendor of the Bahia Palace
The beauty and size of the courtyard, paved with marble, is especially admirable. Each white marble slab has the finest zellige borders. At the intersection of the flagstone paths, there is an elegant fountain with a round pool. The entire perimeter of the courtyard is surrounded by a gallery, the roof of which is covered with green tiles.
Address: Avenue Imam El Ghazali, Marrakesh.
Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
Ticket price: 7 €.
*Up-to-date information for visitors to the Bahia Palace is on the official website.
There are generally many gardens in Marrakech, and one of the most beautiful is the Majorelle Garden, which is an excellent example of landscape art.
Bahia Palace on the map of Marrakech
Perhaps the Bahia Palace can be called a real masterpiece of Moroccan architecture. Such a magnificent structure was erected for two officials who served under the rulers Si Moussa and Bakhmad in the 19th century. Like many examples made in the Arab-Andalusian style, Bahia has a magnificent garden, a charming patio, a large number of rooms, decorated with elegant stucco and wooden ceilings..." />
