Marrakech Day 6: The Palaces
In the early morning before the punishing noon sun, we threaded our way past the souls of Marrakech to the La Bahia Palace, a 19th century harem built by Sultan Moulay el Hassan I’s notorious Grand Vizir Bou Ahmed and named after his first and most favored wide.The interior was decorated with graceful arches and carved cedar ceilings, tadelakt or shiny marble finishes, stucco plasterwork (called gibs) and corniced. Each room varied in size depending on the importance of each wife. American writer Edith Wharton once stayed in the favorite wife’s glorious private apartment. The entire palace is sometimes closed when the royal family is in town, as their entourage often stays here.
Close by was the El Badi Palace, the 16th century playground of Saadian prices and visiting diplomats, now a romantic ruin of sandstone policed by nesting storks. Sultan Ahmed el Mansour’s opulent creation was ransacked by Moulay Ismail in the 17th century to help him complete his own palace at Meknes, but it is still possible to see why its name translates as “the Marvel.” A large swimming pool in the center is surrounded by four smaller pools and four sunken orange orchards laden with fruit.
Polar bear melting with the heat
Starting from the right, we visited the various pavilions including the Green Pavilion, then the Pavilion for guests and ambassadors. The main hall is named the Koubba el Khamsiniyya, referring to its 50 grand marble columns.
Sample of what it could have been, from the Bahia Palace
There was also a Palace annex, the Summer Palace, then the underground corridors and dungeons along the southern wall. The top terrace before our egress afforded us a view of the city in the afternoon light.
Back at our riad, we tried the traditional hammam. My three sisters, Aunt Gloria and I experienced both the hamman with gommage avec l’huille d’olives and the massage with argan oil.
First, we entered a small room with a rainshower spout in the middle for rinsing. Our majordomo (Ed: really our majordomo is an Oompa Loompa) started us off,
but then a lalla came to perform the gommage with eucaplytpus oil. She rubbed the fragrant, dark-colored oil over my body, then used a coarse glove to exfoliate the dead skin. A small tub on the side provided warm water or cleansing. We lay on a dais off to the side while being scrubbed down, then we went for the massage. Afterwards, we congregated by the serenity pool while bougainvillea leaves in pink and white drifted down into the water.
Monique, Joliot and I had one last stroll back to the Djemaa el Fna at twilight for Monique to get more money, as Morocco ended up being slightly more expensive than we thought (Ed: and the riad only takes cash!). Joliot also got her ostrich egg finally.
In the evening, my colleague VIcken Sepilian’s two friends, Makram and Hassan came by to say hello. They stayed for dinner of poulet au citron and lam with prunes and almonds, with a mixed dessert of fruit and pastries that even the gourmand Hassan declared was sublime.
For more pictures, click here.
posted by moan @ 10:05 PM
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