Dar el Bacha

You end the route at the palace that symbolises 20th-century Marrakech. Dar el Bacha, 'the pasha's house', was built in 1910 as the residence of Thami El Glaoui.

1Lord of the Atlas

El Glaoui came from a powerful family of caids in the High Atlas. In 1912 Sultan Moulay Youssef appointed him pasha of Marrakech, a post he held throughout the French protectorate. He was the most influential man in the south of the country, an ally of the French authorities and, in 1953, one of the driving forces behind the deposition of Sultan Mohammed V. After the sultan's return and independence, El Glaoui lost his power, and he died in 1956.

2A palace for receiving guests

The building combines the layout of a Moroccan riad with European influences. Its central courtyard, with fountains and orange trees, is surrounded by zellige, carved stucco and painted cedar wood. This is where the pasha received his guests at legendary banquets.

The National Museums Foundation restored it, and on 9 July 2017 King Mohammed VI opened it as the Museum of Confluences, devoted to dialogue between cultures. One of its salons houses a café that has become famous. The September 2023 earthquake forced it to close for repairs: check whether it's open before you visit.

From a pasha's absolute power to a museum about the meeting of cultures.

3What to look for

• The gateway on Rue Dar el Bacha.
• The high, blank walls, typical of medina palaces.
• The orange-tree courtyard, if you can get in.