An enchanting break at the Bahia Palace

To the south-east of the medina, built in 1866, stands the largest and most luxurious palace in Morocco. The Bahia Palace was designed by architect Mohamed El Mekki at the request of the Grand Vizier Ahmed Ben Moussa, son of Si Moussa. 

On an 8-hectare estate, it is a single-storey Arab-Andalusian style structure that stands with elegance and luxury. The spaces extend over 160 rooms decorated with marble, beech wood, zelliges and earthenware: rooms, bedrooms, suites, mosque, Koranic school, harem, Moorish bath and stables. Outside, the Islamic gardens are lush and lined with rosemary and orange trees with an aguedal, a vegetable garden irrigated by a central basin. 

The Grand Riad is the oldest part of the palace, and contains an interior garden that was enlarged by the Grand Vizier after he bought the neighboring properties in order to house his official wives and concubines, including his favourite Bahia. Bahia means beautiful, and is now the name given to the palace. Then in the Great Court, which was once the stables and gardens, the vizier decided to set up a harem there. And, in the Petit Riad, he welcomed government officials. 

However, in 1900, the palace was ransacked and looted by partisans during the political crisis and rebellion on the orders of Sultan Abd al-Aziz, who later established the French protectorate there. And, from 1912, General Lyautey, President General of France in Morocco, made it his personal residence. It is then that the entire estate was renovated by the French Army to include electricity and fireplaces. Then, other rooms were transformed to meet the needs of French officers such as the Petite Cour, which was transformed into a chamber.

Today, the palace hosts Arab-Andalusian music concerts and art exhibitions. And, in a private part not open to the public, the Moroccan royal family of Morocco Mohammed VI occasionally stays there.