Bahia Palace

The Bahia was built in stages in the late nineteenth century for a grand vizier and his household, and it grew by buying up neighbouring properties rather than to a single plan, which is why the rooms wander and the courtyards are all different sizes. What survives is the decoration: carved and painted cedar ceilings, stucco cut into lace, zellij tilework to shoulder height, and stained glass in the window frames. The great courtyard is a plain expanse of Italian marble with rooms opening off every side, while the small riad garden behind it is planted with orange, banana and cypress around a central fountain. The palace is unfurnished, so the effect is architectural rather than domestic, and the ceilings are the reason to look up constantly.

What you actually see

• The painted ceilings - cedar panels painted in floral patterns, different in every room.
• The great courtyard - a wide marble court ringed by galleries and reception rooms.
• The riad garden - orange and banana trees around a fountain, in deep shade.
• The zellij - geometric tile panels running around the walls of the main apartments.

When to go

Open daily with a break in some seasons; go at opening or in the last hour before closing, as tour groups fill it between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Spring and autumn are pleasant; the marble courtyard is glaring and hot in July and August. Allow more time than the ticket queue suggests.

Honest expectations

It is often crowded to the point that photographing a room without strangers in it is impossible, and groups stall in the doorways of the best ceilings. The rooms are empty of furniture and there is very little signage, so without a guide you are looking at decoration with no story attached. Some sections are periodically closed for restoration with no reduction in the ticket price.

Nearby

The Mellah, the Dar Si Said museum and El Badi Palace are all within a ten-minute walk.