Marrakech, Morocco
Palace and museum in Marrakesh, Morocco
The Bahia Palace, in the southern medina off Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jedid, is the finest 19th-century palace in Marrakech. It was begun in the 1860s by Si Musa, grand vizier to Sultan Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, and greatly enlarged between 1894 and 1900 by his son Si Ba Ahmed, grand vizier to Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, who brought in the best craftsmen for six years running but died in 1900 before it was done. The palace has around 150 rooms over nearly two hectares, arranged around courtyards and riad gardens with no fixed plan, which is what makes it fun to explore: every doorway opens on a new court. Look for the painted cedar ceilings, carved stucco, zellij tilework, the huge marble-paved courtyard, and gardens of orange trees and jasmine. After Ba Ahmed it housed powerful notables, and from 1912 was the residence of the French Resident-General Lyautey. Today it is one of the most visited sights in Marrakech.
Be there at 9:00 opening; big groups arrive after 10:00 and fill the courtyards. Allow an hour to an hour and a half, and look up in every room for the ceilings. You can buy tickets online from the Ministry of Culture to skip the queue. The main entrance is on Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jedid.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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ParkMarrakech, Morocco
