The Brilliant Palace

So far, on our first full day in Marrakech, we had enjoyed what we had seen, but we were not wowed.  

That changed when we went to Palace Bahia.  Wow.  (See, that makes it official -- we were wowed!).

Built in the 19th century, it was owned by a grand vizier (essentially “prime minister” or chief advisor to the sultan)  and meant to be the greatest palace of its time.  We walked through both the business and the harem (personal) rooms and courtyards of the palace.  Many of the pictures of the fountains and geometric designs in an earlier post are from Bahia (which according to Wikipedia, means “brilliance”).  They achieved what they were seeking.

The back story on the young sultan (12 years old), the problems facing the country, and the machinations to control power as told by our guide Rachid are also quite interesting.

Room opened upon courtyard upon room.  The fountains, courtyards, doors, windows, ceilings are all beyond compare.  Brilliance it is.

If you go to only one place in Marrakesh, make sure it is Palace Bahia.