This hidden gem located just outside the Medina was once the residence of the Glaoui family, a family of powerful warlords who helped the French maintain control over Morocco before the country’s independence in 1956. The complex contains 17 buildings including several lavish saloons, a Quranic school, a harem, a hammam, sprawling open courtyards and two gardens. Fitted with rich cedar wood doors, walls covered in beautifully carved stucco and vivid zellij tiles, the Palace was clearly once a magnificent and opulent residence. However, the empty fountains and faded paint show it is now but a shell of its former self, giving it a haunting, lonely atmosphere.

Today, the Glaoui family is long gone and the palace’s current residents are Abdou, an artist, and his sister. Their family has taken care of the house for the past century and these two siblings continue to keep it from falling into a miserable state of complete disrepair.