Bahia Palace
قصر الباهية
A 19th-century palace of a grand vizier, with 150 rooms around orange-tree courtyards. Its cedar-carved ceilings and zellige mosaics are the pinnacle of Moroccan craftsmanship.
قصر الباهية was built between 1866 and 1900 by Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed for his favourite concubine, “Bahia” (meaning “brilliance”). Covering 8 hectares, with 150 rooms, multiple courtyards and gardens, it was the most luxurious residence in Morocco at the time. After 1912, it served as the residence of the French governor.
The open areas include the marble Grand Cour (50 × 30 m), planted with orange and cypress trees; the quarters of the vizier's four wives; a small courtyard for 24 concubines; and the finest reception hall, where cedar-wood painted ceilings, stained-glass windows, zellige mosaics and stucco carvings are layered one above another. The entrance fee for foreigners is MAD 100 (since 2024). It is open 09:00–17:00. There are no signs, so you can hire an official guide at the entrance (about MAD 150–200) or use a phone audio guide. A visit takes about an hour.
The palace is in the southern medina, beside the Mellah (Jewish quarter). You can combine it in one morning's walk with the Saadian Tombs, the El Badi Palace ruins (where storks nest; MAD 70) and the Spice Square. The Mellah market and the Lazama Synagogue are also nearby. Tour groups arrive after 10 a.m., and the rooms get crowded, so go right when it opens.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Mellah of Marrakech
- Dar Si Said Museum
- El Badi Palace
- Koutoubia Mosque
- Jemaa el-Fnaa
- Saadian Tombs
- Medina Souks
- Ramparts of Marrakech & Bab Agnaou