The Bahia Palace is a 19th-century viziers' residence in the heart of the medina, between Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jdid and the Mellah. Begun in the 1860s by Si Moussa, grand vizier to Sultan Mohammed ben Abderrahmane, it was enlarged between 1894 and 1900 by his son Ba Ahmed, grand vizier to Moulay Abdelaziz. The visit leads through a sequence of courtyards, gardens and reception rooms decorated with zellige tilework, carved stucco and painted cedar ceilings, spread over nearly two hectares. The palace is open every day from 9am to 5pm; a ticket costs 100 MAD for a foreign adult. Allow about an hour.
Highlights
The grand courtyard
This courtyard, about 50 by 30 metres and laid out in 1896-1897, is paved with marble and zellige and surrounded by colonnaded galleries painted blue and yellow. The apartments around it were reserved for the women of the vizier's household. It is the most photographed part of the palace: come early to see it almost empty.
The painted cedar ceilings
The reception rooms have kept their ceilings of Atlas cedar, painted with floral and geometric patterns. Look up in every room: the designs change from one hall to the next, as do the coloured glass windows.
The small riad and its salons
Built during Ba Ahmed's enlargement, the small riad groups salons with painted wooden doors, finely carved stucco arches and zellige floors. It includes the council room where the grand vizier received visitors. The carved doors and muqarnas frames are worth a stop.
The grand riad
This is the oldest part, built by Si Moussa: a large inner garden planted with tall trees and lined with salons. Its shade is welcome in summer, when the paved courtyards become scorching.
Infos pratiques
Tips
A ticket costs 100 MAD for a foreign adult and 50 MAD for a foreign child aged 7 to 13; Moroccans and residents pay 30 MAD, or 10 MAD for a child (prices checked in October 2026). Entry is free for Moroccans on Fridays and on the first day of national and religious holidays. The Ministry of Culture's online ticket office sells timed tickets at the same price as the ticket desk, which saves queuing in high season. Only part of the palace is open to visitors, and many rooms have no furniture: the architecture and decoration are the point of the visit. Around the entrance, turn down fake guides who claim the palace is closed.
How to get there
Entrance: Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jdid, medina, north of the Mellah On foot from Jemaa el-Fna square: about 15 minutes along Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jdid Petit taxi: ask for Place des Ferblantiers, a 5-minute walk from the entrance
Opening hours
Nearby
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