Built in the 1890s for Si Ahmed ben Moussa, the powerful vizier of Sultan Moulay Hassan, the Bahia Palace was designed to be the greatest palace of its time. The name means "brilliance," and the decorative ambition is clear: carved cedar ceilings, intricate zellij tilework, and a series of courtyards planted with orange trees and flowering shrubs.
After Si Ahmed died in 1900 the palace was looted by the Sultan, and it later served as a residence for French Resident-Generals during the Protectorate era. Today you can wander the main rooms and courtyards freely. Guided tours are available, though they vary considerably in quality — many visitors find exploring on their own, with a good guidebook, more rewarding.