Dar Batha, Historic palace and museum in Medina of Fez, Morocco
Dar Batha is a former palace and current museum showcasing Islamic art at the western edge of Fez's old medina. The building organizes itself around a central courtyard with zellige mosaic tilework and fountains, containing more than 6,500 objects spanning ceramics, textiles, manuscripts, and metalwork.
Sultan Hassan I commissioned this palace in 1886 as a royal residence during his stays in Fez. The structure shifted to its museum function in 1915, when authorities decided to preserve and display Morocco's artistic heritage within its walls.
The name means "gap" or "open space", referring to its location between two medina quarters. Visitors today experience how the building bridges different neighborhoods through its role as a gathering place for art and craft traditions.
The entrance sits near Bab Bou Jeloud gate, the main entry to the old medina, making it easy to reach on foot. Plan to move at a leisurely pace as galleries flow around courtyards and connections between sections require walking through different areas.
A substantial Andalusian garden with palm and jacaranda trees fills much of the grounds, designed in the early 1900s by a French landscape architect. This verdant space within the dense medina provides visitors with an unexpectedly spacious and calm retreat.
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