Dar el Bacha
Art museum in Marrakech, Morocco
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Courtyard of the palace
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Established | 1910 |
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Location | Marrakech , Morocco |
Coordinates | 31°37′54″N 7°59′33″W / 31.631573°N 7.992403°W / 31.631573; -7.992403 |
Type | Art museum |
Collections | Art objects, historical artifacts |
Website | http://www.fnm.ma/musee-dar-el-bacha-de-marrakech/ |
Dar el Bacha ( Arabic : دار الباشا , lit. ' House of the Pasha ' ) is a palace located in the old medina of Marrakesh , Morocco . It currently houses the Museum of Confluences .
History
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 [5] or "Museum of Confluences". [6] It was inaugurated by Mohammed VI of Morocco on 9 July 2017. [5]
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Dar el Bacha grounds in the early 1930s: the main palace structure is off-frame to the left, but the large gardens and its pavilions are visible (mid-frame)
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Local men lining up to be received inside Pasha Glaoui 's palace, in a 1924 photo (palace gate visible in the middle)
Architecture
Dar el Bacha represents a beautiful example of Moroccan architecture and of riad 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]
The area where the museum is housed today is centered around a rectangular courtyard occupied by a large riad garden that is symmetrically divided into four parts. On each side of this courtyard is a salon or hall preceded by a portico with ornate columns. The rest of the palace included a hammam, a service area (the douiria ), and a private family area (the harem ). [1] Many of the original design features have been maintained and restored, including zellij mosaic tilework on the floors and walls, carved stucco decoration , and carved and painted cedar wood doors and ceilings. [1]
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Main courtyard and riad garden of the palace
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Columns of the courtyard (left) and wooden doors to the salons (right)
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Alcove with wall fountain off the main courtyard
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Carved stucco decoration inside the palace
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Painted and sculpted wood ceiling over one of the halls
Museum and café
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]
The exhibits are located in the rooms around the main courtyard. [6] Also attached to the museum is a café, Bacha Coffee , [9] which is housed in a period salon and specializes in Arabica coffee . [6]
See also
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1 2 3 "Musée Des Confluences Dar El Bacha" . Fondation National des Musées . Retrieved 29 June 2023 .
- 1 2 "Afrique, Asie, Amérique du Sud… au Musée des Confluences" . L'Economiste (in French). 2018-11-12 . Retrieved 2020-12-19 .
- 1 2 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 .
- ↑ Essaadi, Mohammed (2014). "3" . Mémoire D'Une Idylle . AuthorHouse.
- 1 2 "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 . 9 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "Dar El Bacha | Marrakesh, Morocco Attractions" . Lonelyplanet.com .
- ↑ "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 .
- ↑ "Marrakech dresse un tableau des croisements interreligieux" . L'Economiste (in French). 2018-01-25 . Retrieved 2020-12-19 .
- ↑ "Bacha Coffee | Dar el Bacha Museum" . 2023-06-03 . Retrieved 2023-06-30 .
Palaces and historic residences in Morocco
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