Bahia Palace Marrakesh

## A nineteenth-century vizier's palace Bahia Palace is a large complex of residences, courtyards and gardens constructed in Marrakesh during the second half of the nineteenth century. Work began for Si Moussa, a senior minister serving Sultans Mohammed IV and Hassan I. His son Ahmed ben Moussa, widely known as Ba Ahmed, enlarged the property during his service as grand vizier to the young Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz. The complex offers material evidence of courtly domestic life and the political organisation of the Moroccan state in this period. ## Courtyards, riads and craftsmanship The palace's reception halls and domestic quarters are arranged around several courtyards, small and large riads, gardens and connecting passages. A major marble and zellige courtyard has arcaded galleries and fountains. Painted and carved cedar ceilings, sculpted stucco, lattice screens and decorative glass reveal the work of craftspeople from Marrakesh, Fez and Meknes. Changes of scale and decoration between rooms show how ceremonial reception spaces and more private domestic areas were separated. ## A monument with changing uses After 1912, parts of the complex were used by the French resident general during stays in Marrakesh. Its history therefore spans different political administrations while retaining many features of late-nineteenth-century Moroccan architectural decoration. Today the building is open as a heritage monument. The rooms accessible to visitors can change because of conservation work or special events. ## Visiting Bahia Palace Location: Riad Zitoun El Jdid area of Marrakesh's medina. Morocco's Ministry of Culture provides an official ticketing page; generally published visiting hours are around 9 am to 5 pm but may change. Check admission and any temporary restrictions. Related sites: [Dar Si Saïd National Museum](/en/institutions/musee-national-tissage-tapis-dar-si-said-marrakech), [El Badi Palace](/en/institutions/palais-el-badi-marrakech) and [Jamaâ El-Fna Museum of Intangible Heritage](/en/institutions/musee-patrimoine-immateriel-jamaa-el-fna-marrakech). ### Sources and photograph credit Source: [managing institution](https://e-services.minculture.gov.ma/fr/tickets/palais-bahia). Image: [Jorge Láscar](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Palais_Bahia_(The_Bahia_Palace)_(7346181900).jpg), licence CC BY 2.0; no alterations indicated.