Monument
Founded nearly a millennium ago, Marrakech is renowned for its sumptuous riads and palaces. The medina is overflowing with these architectural treasures, relics of an unparalleled history. Over time, some have been transformed into hotels or guest houses, while others have been restored to enhance the cultural landscape of the 'Red City'. It's time for a visit to one of the most famous and impressive palaces: Al Bahia Palace. Photo: Darya Luganskaya
As soon as I step into the courtyard of the building, I am taken aback by the idyllic setting that surrounds me. Palm trees and shrubs of all sorts mix around a fountain, adorned with colorful mosaic tiles. At each corner of it, doors open onto large mirrors, reflecting the greenery. However, the tranquility of the verdant space quickly ends with the arrival of a group of American tourists and their guide, a Moroccan with perfect English. I timidly join them, and the guide welcomes me with a smile, continuing his explanations as we go.
We now explore the public part of the site as a group, while the guide shares the secrets and meanings of this majestic place. Throughout the visit, I try to imagine the grand vizier Ahmed Ben Moussa, his four wives, his 24 concubines, and their myriad of children walking through the corridors and gardens, occupying the rooms now filled with visitors admiring the unique decorations, mosaics, and carvings so indicative of the place's history.
The rooms we enter are each more beautiful than the last, and the ceilings, decorated with flowers and calligraphy, are stunning. Admirers of this unique place, many visitors take photos along the way, but no image can truly reflect what one feels upon entering the building. A strange sensation washes over me. For a moment, I feel like a queen, walking through her palace, far from the noise and tumult of the surrounding city.
Bahia Palace is a place like no other, consisting of two courtyards (the so-called 'cour d'honneur' and the smaller courtyard) and two riads (one smaller and one larger), as well as a private apartment. Everything is located on the ground floor and spans about eight hectares. This monument, built at the end of the 19th century, is imposing, not only because of its size but also its typical oriental beauty.
When the tour ends and I leave the building, the heat and bustle of the Medina quickly bring me back to reality. I hail a taxi and turn back to admire the gate of this unique palace, where, for a few moments, dream and reality intertwined.
Hours : Open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Rate: 70 Dh
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