Dar El Bacha, Musee des Confluences

Dar El Bacha is the most elaborate interior you can visit in the western Medina and a fine counterpart to the Bahia Palace on the opposite side of town. It was built in the early twentieth century for Thami El Glaoui, the powerful Pasha of Marrakech who ruled the city and the southern passes under the French Protectorate and entertained statesmen, writers and film stars here. Its name simply means house of the pasha. Behind a plain wall on the street lies a sequence of courtyards and reception rooms of extraordinary richness: zellige tilework in intricate geometric patterns, carved and painted cedar doors and ceilings, sculpted stucco, marble fountains and a central riad garden of orange trees and flower beds laid out in quarters. The state now runs it as the Musee des Confluences, a museum whose theme is the meeting of cultures in Morocco; besides the architecture, it hosts temporary exhibitions drawn from national and private collections, so the content of the rooms changes. The house was consolidated after the September 2023 earthquake and reopened to visitors in November of that year. Inside is Bacha Coffee, a lavishly restored coffee house serving a very long list of single-origin coffees in silver pots, which has become one of the most photographed spots in the city and draws long queues of its own. The museum is closed on Mondays, according to the regional tourism council, and tickets are bought at the door at a moderate price, with reductions for children. It is compact: an hour covers the courtyards and exhibitions, and you can easily combine it with Mouassine and the souks nearby.

Making the most of it: arrive at opening to see the main courtyard before the crowds, which build quickly from late morning, especially from people waiting for the coffee house. Look up as much as down; the painted ceilings and the carved wooden friezes are the finest details, and the light falling into the courtyard changes the colors of the tiles through the morning. The exhibition rooms are usually well lit and labeled in French and English, but the content varies, so treat them as a bonus.

Bacha Coffee: the coffee house is separate from the museum visit and very popular. Queues can stretch to an hour at busy times; put your name down on arrival if there is a list, then tour the museum while you wait. Prices are high by local standards, and the experience is as much about the room and the service as the coffee. If you dislike queues, skip it and have mint tea in Mouassine instead.

Getting there and nearby: the palace stands on Rue Dar El Bacha at the western edge of the souks, about fifteen minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fna, and taxis can drop close by. Combine it with the Mouassine fountain, Le Jardin Secret and the Maison de la Photographie for a half day of architecture and culture, and finish in the souks. Opening hours have varied since the reopening, so confirm before a special trip.