Palais de la Bahia, Marrakech, Morocco 1

The Bahia Palace (Palais de la Bahia) is a most impressive building and one of the most extraordinary imperial relics of Moroccan dynasty. It was constructed at the end of the 19th century, and was intended to be the most impressive palace of all time. The complex covers eight hectares and has 150 rooms, all of which lead to various stunning patios and gardens. The name "bahia" means “the beautiful” or "the brilliant", There are several theories on whether the palace was called this because of its stunning architectural beauty and brilliance, or after the Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed ben Moussa's favourite wife.

An illustrious guest, the writer Edith Wharton, described the palace in this way: “it remains the loveliest and most fantastic of Moroccan palaces. Court within court, garden beyond garden, reception halls, private apartments, slaves’ quarters, sunny prophets’ chambers on the roofs, and baths in vaulted crypts, the labyrinth of passages and rooms stretches away over several acres of ground.”