Dar el-Bacha Musee des Confluences

Thami el-Glaoui was pasha of Marrakech from 1912 to 1956 and one of the most powerful figures in Morocco under the protectorate, and this was his city residence - built in the early twentieth century in full traditional idiom, with a large central courtyard, fountains, orange trees, and rooms whose zellige, carved cedar and painted plaster are as good as anything of the period. After his fall in 1956 the palace was closed and stayed shut for around sixty years. It reopened in 2017 as the Musée des Confluences, with a programme of temporary exhibitions on cultural exchange rather than a permanent collection, so the content changes; the building is the constant. There is a well-regarded coffee room in one wing. Because it was sealed rather than adapted, the decorative work survived unusually intact, which is the thing to look at whatever is hanging.

The main sights

• A pasha's city palace - the Marrakech residence of the Glaoui, built in full traditional idiom.
• Sixty years sealed - closed from 1956, which is why the decoration survived intact.
• A courtyard with orange trees - fountains and zellige round a large central space.
• Changing exhibitions - a temporary programme rather than a permanent collection.

When to go

October to April. An hour or two, depending on the exhibition.

What to expect

There is no permanent collection - what is showing varies and may not interest you. Entry is charged. The coffee room queues. Photography restrictions apply in exhibition rooms.

Nearby

The Mouassine fountain and museum are close; the souks are east.