The Palais de la Bahia is the most beautiful palace of Marrakech, created at the end of the 19th century by Saadi grand vizier Si Moussa. It is one of the most visited sites of the city and unfortunately always full of tourists that enjoy the decorations made of marble, ceramic mosaics and cedar wood. Seven years were needed to finish this combination of rooms, gardens and courtyards. Most wonderful is the Grand Cour, a vast courtyard with a surrounding gallery.
The palace might be the perfect setting for the One Thousand and One Nights (or Arabian Nights), a famous collection of folktales. You’ve probably heard about ruler Shahryār who was betrayed by his wife and therefore decides to continuously marry for just one night and then prevent betrayal by murdering his current wife. This vicious circle is broken by Scheherazade who tells her husband stories and creates cliffhangers to force him to keep her alive. This collection contains well-known works like Cinderella, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves or The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.
The Palais de la Bahia is a place where you can also learn about the real Moroccan style of ruling and living, about concubines and polyglyny. Islam allows a man to have up to four wifes if he is able to deal justly with all of them. Visiting the Palais de la Bahia is only possibly on a guided tour, you can’t simply explore the rooms. Accessing the Palais de la Bahia is best possible from the Place des Ferblantiers – it is just a short 300 meters walk to the entrance of the Palais.
Palais de la Bahia
Marrakech
Morocco
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