The Dar el Bacha Museum in Marrakech stands out as a unique cultural offering in this city, especially for lovers of architecture, art… and coffee. In this post we tell you why it is interesting and what makes it different, so that you can assess whether an interior visit can rival other places in the city, such as the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the culinary arts museum or MACAAL, among other options.
A bit of history
To understand why such a sumptuous building is located in the heart of the medina, we have to go back to 1910: the newly appointed pasha of Marrakech, Thami el Glaoui, was the strongman of the south of the country, with the connivance of the then-sultan Moulay Youssef and, later, the authorities of the French Protectorate.
So, to show his power and wealth, he had a residence built here (Dar el Bacha, that is, the house of the pasha), sparing no expense on refined details in its decoration. For several decades it was a place of welcome and meeting for important diplomats, such as the British Winston Churchill or the American Franklin Roosevelt.
But after the Second World War and the fall of the pasha, the palace was abandoned and forgotten. It took 60 years to recover it from the ruins, restore it and turn it into what it is today: the Museum of Confluences.
A building worth visiting
It often happens that the main attraction of visiting a museum is, precisely, its building. And that is the case with the Dar el Bacha Museum: its architecture, exquisitely restored not long ago, leaves visitors open-mouthed at the good taste in every detail. It is a complex with several pavilions, with the main one (dedicated to the museum) arranged around a central courtyard, with a fountain, a perimeter colonnaded gallery and fruit trees.
In its decoration, the exquisite zellige panels stand out, covering columns and walls in a colourful, refined and brilliant way. In addition, covering arches and walls there are also stucco reliefs, while some ceilings feature fantastic coffered ceilings in polychrome wood.
A collection that delves into craftsmanship
As for the collection housed in this museum, it can be said that its pieces delve into craftsmanship and decorative arts, so characteristic of Morocco and so present in the city’s museums. In some rooms, exquisite tapestries are displayed, demonstrating local mastery in textile pieces.
In other rooms, the display cases may show pieces of religious art, for example through temporary exhibitions. Or items of goldsmithing or cabinetmaking from all regions of Morocco, living up to its current name: the Museum of Confluences.
Ticket prices may vary or be updated, at around 70 MAD for adults and 30 MAD for children. The exact address of this museum is Rue Fatima Zahra, Marrakech 40000.
And to finish, a coffee
Another very common thing in any museum is to end the visit with a coffee in its café. But in this case it makes much more sense, because the Dar el Bacha café is truly historic and unique: it was created at the same time as the palace itself, in a space within the complex that served as a meeting point for high society and diplomacy.
Its coffee has always enjoyed a special prestige, 100% Arabica, and today it offers a unique atmosphere in which to enjoy this welcoming drink, as well as having a sales point for this coffee, which is a brand in itself, with a founding date of 1910.
