The Dar el-Beida (, ) is a royal residence in
Fez, Morocco
Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes, Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the List of cities in Morocco, largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to ...
. It was originally part of a larger complex that included the nearby
Dar Batha
Dar Batḥa (, pronounced ''Bat-ḥaa''), or Qasr al-Batḥa (), is a former royal palace and present-day museum in the city of Fez, Morocco. The palace was commissioned by the Alaouite Sultan Hassan I in the late 19th century and finished under ...
to the northeast. In 1915, the two were separated when Dar Batha was converted into a museum. Today, Dar el-Beida remains an active royal residence and is not open to the public.
History
Dar Batha and Dar el-Beida were constructed to serve as a summer palace and as a residence for distinguished visitors and guests.
The complex was commissioned and begun in the late 19th century by Sultan
Hassan I
''Mawlay'' Hassan bin Mohammed (), known as Hassan I (), born in 1836 in Fes and died on 9 June 1894 in Tadla, was the sultan of Morocco from 12 September 1873 to 7 June 1894, as a ruler of the 'Alawi dynasty. He was proclaimed sultan after the ...
. Dar Batha was completed under Sultan
Abdelaziz,
while Dar el-Beida was completed under his rival and successor
Abdelhafid.
In 1912 the two palaces were used to house the services of the
Resident-general
A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of in ...
of the new
French Protectorate. In 1915, Dar Batha was converted into a museum of local arts, to which the collection previously housed at the
Dar Adiyel
Dar Adiyel or Dar 'Adiyil is a historic mansion in Fes el-Bali, the old medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located in the Zqaq el-Bghal neighbourhood, a short distance south from Tala'a Seghira street.
History
The exact date of the house's const ...
was transferred.
The Dar el-Beida continues to be used by the government as a reception palace.
Architecture
The Dar el-Beida is no longer connected to Dar Batha today. Its grounds, entered via a monumental and ornate gate to the southwest, are filled with large gardens dotted with pavilions, and a main palace in the northeast area with more interior gardens and ornate courtyards.
One of the canals derived from the
Oued Fes
The Oued Fes () or Fez River is a river in Morocco. It is a tributary of the Sebou River and historically the main source of water for Morocco's second largest city, Fes, after which it is named.
The river consists of a number of different stre ...
(Fes River) passes through the gardens and the palace.
Oued Fes
The Oued Fes () or Fez River is a river in Morocco. It is a tributary of the Sebou River and historically the main source of water for Morocco's second largest city, Fes, after which it is named.
The river consists of a number of different stre ...
) passing through the palace gardens (in 1916)
File:Résidence Boujeloud ; Résidence - Jardins de Boujeloud, actuellement Résidence générale de Fès, roue à eau - Fès - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T149031.jpg, A noria
A noria (, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from , ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered '' scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct, either for the purpose of irrigation or to supply water to cities and village ...
(waterwheel) along the canal in the palace gardens (1916)
File:Résidence Boujeloud ; Résidence - Résidence du général Lyautey, les jardins - Fès - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T060627.jpg, The interior courtyard garden of the main palace (1916)
File:Résidence Boujeloud ; Résidence - Résidence Boujeloud, les jardins, l'oued coulant au milieu d'une allée d'orangers - Fès - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T060686.jpg, The canal passing through the palace's interior garden (1916)
File:Résidence Boujeloud ; Résidence - Résidence Boujeloud, cour intérieure avec bassin - Fès - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T060684.jpg, An interior courtyard of the palace, with central fountain (1916)
File:Résidence Boujeloud ; Résidence - Résidence, cabinet du général Lyautey - Fès - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T060625.jpg, Rooms inside the palace in 1916, when it was the headquarters of the French resident-general
A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of in ...
File:Dar El-Beida, Fez, Marocco (الدار البيضاء, فاس).jpg, Detail of the main gate in 2024
See also
*
Royal Palace of Fez
The Royal Palace or Dar al-Makhzen (; ) is the palace of the List of rulers of Morocco, King of Morocco in the city of Fez, Morocco, Fez, Morocco. Its original foundation dates back to the foundation of Fes Jdid, Fes el-Jdid ("New Fez"), the royal ...
*
List of Moroccan royal residences
The King of Morocco currently has at least one residence in each of the country's principal cities, sometimes going back to ancient times. They are often referred to as Dar el-Makhzen, using the Moroccan term for the monarchical institution.
Pa ...
Notes
{{coord missing, Morocco
Palaces in Fez, Morocco
'Alawi architecture
Royal residences in Morocco