House hunting in the medina Patrick Menac'h stumbled across a historic treasure of great cultural significance beside the 16th-century Mouassine mosque. Beneath the layers of white plaster of a modest 1st-floor douiria (guest apartment) emerged a jewel of domestic Saadian architecture and decor, circa 1560, when the Saadians were busy transforming Marrakesh into their Imperial capital. The other major projects of the period are all grand in scale – the mosques at Mouassine, Bab Doukkala, Ben-Youssef and Sidi Bel-Abbes. But this bijou douiria was created by a chorfa (noble) family after the Saadians relocated the Mouassine Jews to the Mellah and gave the city a new dynamic.
The Douiria in its restored form is thus an important commentary on the courtly art of hospitality. Imagine the mindset of travel weary guests as they entered the main salon with its symphony of colours; flowers and birds in saffron, verdigris and apricot climb the walls in a vertical garden, while bedrooms are trimmed with sculpted Kufic script framed by azure blue and finished with a fine Pompeian red skirting. You’ll assume this is the handy work of the 24-man restoration team, but no, the colour and décor are uniquely and amazingly original, their vibrancy preserved for four centuries beneath thick layers of plaster.
Part of the Douiria’s on-going restoration will be undertaken in public view (groups will be limited to 25 people at a time) as part of the museum’s efforts to showcase modern restoration techniques. A sequence of fascinating photographs details each step of the journey, which is momentous enough to appear as part of the curriculum of the École d’Architecture de Marrakech introducing students to the concept of patrimony. Beyond that the space will be utilised for exceptional temporary exhibitions focusing on the very best examples of Islamic art and craftsmanship. And with patrons like Xavier Salmon from the Louvre, they promise to be as exquisite as the apartment itself.
