Visit to the Beautiful El Bahia Palace in Marrakech
Let’s go travel and see the world again! This time, let us visit another continent. And yes, Africa is the fourth continent I visited last year. The first country I went to was Morocco. I always dream to visit this country. I thought, I can only see it in a travel documentation on Television or in the internet or travel books but hey, I was finally there! Another dream came true! Indeed, I had great and memorable experiences when I visited Morocco especially during that visit in one of its imperial cities called Marrakech.
Painted ceilings; tiled walls; ornate woodwork; classic columns; colourful windows; hanging lanterns; water features; fruit trees in courtyards; and mosaic floors can be seen at the Bahia Palace.
It was a long trip 5-hour from our hotel in Agadir to Marrakech, including the stop-overs we did. Sitting in the bus is not boring for me because I enjoyed the scenery we passed-by along the road. If I am driving, I might not be able to enjoy it because I have to concentrate in driving. We left at 7:30 AM and at around 12:30 AM, the sunshine in Marrakech greeted us. I was with a group of German tourists that time. Thanks to the 3-month German language course I did, I can already speak and understand the language.
There’s no symmetry or planning to Bahia Palace because of its haphazard construction over so many years as more land became available. Elegant rooms open onto courtyards or gardens that then have more doors into narrow passageways leading to private areas. It could be a labyrinth but not one you want to escape from.
The first sight we visited in Marrakech or Marrakesh was the El Bahia Palace. The Arabic word ‘bahia’ means ‘beautiful’ or ‘brilliance’. It is considered to be one of the richest and most beautiful palaces to visit in Marrakech. The Bahia is a large old house, together with additional complex of houses, which were adapted as a palace in the late 19th century by Moroccan architect El Haj Mohamed el Mekki for the Grand Vizier Ahmed ben Moussa, known as Ba Hmad. It is said that labourers and craftsmen from all over the country worked without stopping for six years, from 1894 to 1900 to adapt the palace.
The El Bahia Palace is worth to visit in this city. It will give you a great impression of what it must have been like to be a 19th century nobleman in Morocco. Be sure to check first if you are visiting the palace. Sometimes it is closed when the royal family come to town. Because of its size you may want to hire a guide who will not only ensure that you don’t get lost, but give you fascinating snippets of information to make your tour of this popular attraction in Marrakech even more worthwhile. Good to know, we have a tour guide when we visited this building.
In total, the palace compound is about eight hectares in size and has about 150 rooms. Elegant rooms open onto courtyards or gardens that then have more doors into narrow passageways leading to private areas. It could be a labyrinth but not one you want to escape from.
This beautiful building is an excellent example of Eastern Architecture from the 19th century that represents trends and standards of the wealthy who lived at that time.
That 8-day trip in Morocco visiting some places was all worth it. I spent around 1,000 Euros with everything included in it. If have the time, I wanted to stay longer but since work is waiting after that trip, I need to go back home in time. I would love to share more about the sights to see in Marrakech in my future article.
If you are visiting the city, don’t miss to visit the Bahia Palace as I really found it very interesting. It was never a waste of time when I visited it. I guess, this is all for now. Just enjoy viewing some of the images I took during my visit there last 2o14.
Did you visited Marrakech before? Did you went inside Bahia Palace and how did you find it? Feel free to leave your footstep and share a bit of your experiences. Cheers and safe and happy travels to us all!
