Dar el Bacha

Dar el Bacha (Arabic: دار الباشا‎, lit. 'House of the Pasha') is a palace located in the old medina of Marrakesh, Morocco.

Dar el Bacha
The courtyard inside the Dar el Bacha palace
Established1910
LocationMarrakech, Morocco
Coordinates
TypeHistoric house museum
CollectionsMoorish architecture
Websitehttp://www.fnm.ma/musee-dar-el-bacha-de-marrakech/

History
The grounds of the Dar el Bacha in 1930-1931: the main palace structure is off-frame to the left, but the large gardens and some of its pavilions are visible towards the center of the image

Built in 1910, the Dar el Bacha, which means "house of the pasha", was the residence of Thami El Glaoui, who was given the title of pasha (roughly "governor" or other high official) of Marrakech by the Sultan Moulay Youssef in 1912.[1][2] For years he was the most powerful political figure of the Moroccan south under French rule.[3] He built his private palace on a lavish scale to impress guests.[3] Some illustrious guests who visited Dar el Bacha include Colette, Maurice Ravel, Charlie Chaplin, Josephine Baker, Winston Churchill among others.[4]

The palace was renovated by the Fondation nationale des musées (FNM) of Morocco and converted into a museum known as the Dar El Bacha – Musée des Confluences. It was inaugurated by Mohammed VI of Morocco on 9 July 2017.[5]

Description

Dar el Bacha represents a beautiful example of Moroccan architecture, with fountains and orange trees in the central courtyard, traditional seating areas, and a hammam.[6] In addition to traditional Moroccan features, the palace also demonstrates influences of European architecture and was one of the earliest palaces in Marrakesh to feature ostentatious decoration on its exterior.[3] Several of the original interior design features have been maintained and restored, including the carved and painted cedar wood doors, black and white checkered marble floors, ceilings covered in colorful zellij mosaics and columns painted with natural pigments such as indigo, saffron and poppy.[1]

The museum also holds temporary exhibits highlighting the different facets of Moroccan culture,[7] as well as various art objects from different cultures across the world.[2] In 2018, one of its exhibits focused on displaying objects from places of worship in all three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).[8]

  • View of an interior riad garden/courtyard in the palace
  • Carved stucco decoration inside the palace
  • Painted and sculpted wood ceiling over one of the halls

Coffee house

A revival of the palace's refined art de vivre, Bacha Coffee Room & Boutique is located in the museum courtyard.[9]

References
  1. "Musée Dar El Bacha de Marrakech". Fnm.ma.
  2. "Afrique, Asie, Amérique du Sud… au Musée des Confluences". L'Economiste (in French). 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  3. Wilbaux, Quentin (2001). La médina de Marrakech: Formation des espaces urbains d'une ancienne capitale du Maroc. Paris: L'Harmattan. p. 291. ISBN 2747523888.
  4. Essaadi, Mohammed (2014). "3". Mémoire D’Une Idylle. AuthorHouse.
  5. "Le Matin - S.M. le Roi lance d'importants projets destinés à la préservation du patrimoine historique de l'ancienne médina de Marrakech et au renforcement de sa vocation touristique". Lematin.ma.
  6. "Dar El Bacha | Marrakesh, Morocco Attractions". Lonelyplanet.com.
  7. "Confluence Museum (Dar El Pacha) in Marrakech, an exhibition of Islamic art in Marrakech, an exhibition of historical and archaeological data in Marrakech". Visitmarrakech.com.
  8. "Marrakech dresse un tableau des croisements interreligieux". L'Economiste (in French). 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  9. "Bacha Coffee". Bachacoffee.com.
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