Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace, in Marrakech, was built in the late nineteenth century for Si Moussa, grand vizier of the Alaouite sultanate, and later expanded by his son Bou Ahmed; its name is generally translated as brilliance or the beautiful. The palace exemplifies Moroccan and Islamic architectural tradition, organized around a series of courtyards, gardens and riads, with rooms decorated in carved cedar wood, ornamental stucco and zellij tilework. It was never a royal residence in the strict sense, having been built for a powerful court official at the height of his personal influence, and today is open to visitors as a heritage site.