PALAIS DE LA BAHIA

La Bahia has floor-to-ceiling decoration begun by Grand Vizier Si Moussa in the 1860s and embellished from 1894 to 1900 by slave-turned-vizier Abu ‘Bou’ Ahmed. From Grand & Petit Courts, through Harem to Courtyards, gilded, inlaid woodwork ceilings and sunburst zellij still have the intended effect of subduing crowds. Though only a portion of the palace’s 8 hectares and 150 rooms is open to the public, you can see the unfurnished, opulently ornamented harem that once housed Bou Ahmed’s four wives and 24 concubines. The quarters of his favourite, Lalla Zineb, are the most spectacular, with original woven-silk panels, stained-glass windows, intricate marquetry and ceilings painted with rose bouquets.

5 rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid, +212 5 243 895 11