Read aloud by your device's voice. It sounds different on each device.
1860s
A grand vizier from a family of slaves began it in the 1860s
The palace was begun in the 1860s by Si Musa, grand vizier under the Alawi sultan Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman. Si Musa was descended from a family of black slaves that served the Moroccan royal government and reached the highest offices in the country. The Grand Riad, a large garden with adjoining rooms in the north, dates from his time, with an inscription dating its two side chambers to the 1860s.
Ba Ahmed
His son ruled the country and doubled the palace between 1894 and 1900
His son Ba Ahmed expanded the palace between 1894 and 1900. When Sultan Abdelaziz came to the throne at sixteen, Ba Ahmed became the effective ruler of Morocco until his own death from disease in 1900. He built most of the southern parts, including the marble-paved Grand Courtyard of 1896 and 1897, and a vast private park to the east.
The rooms
About 150 rooms are arranged around courtyards and gardens
The palace has an irregular layout, with around 150 rooms organized around many courtyards and riad gardens. It is most notable for its decoration, particularly its painted wood ceilings, sculpted stucco and zellij tilework. Its original grounds also took in gardens, parks, stables and a mosque.
150rooms around courtyards and riad gardens
After 1900
It was looted within hours of its builder's death
After Ba Ahmed's death in 1900 the palace became royal property. Only hours after his death, Sultan Abdelaziz reportedly ordered it looted for valuable items. In 1912, with the French Protectorate, it became the residence of the French resident-general Lyautey in the city. After independence it was again a royal residence for King Mohammed V, and it later became a tourist attraction.
2023
The 2023 earthquake damaged the palace
Today the palace is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Morocco. The government counted 410,141 visitors from January to April 2019, more than at any other heritage site in the country. It suffered significant damage in the September 2023 earthquake that struck southern Morocco. The King still sometimes uses it to receive foreign dignitaries.
Day 2, morning
Next is The souks.
More stories from this trip idea
The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Bahia Palace, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.