Head for Assilah, the city by the Atlantic Ocean which has a grandiose palace dating from the beginning of the 20th century. It was indeed built only a few years before the beginning of the protectorate. The Raissouni Palace is the #Nomad topic of the week.
In Assilah, located regarding forty kilometers south of Tangier, and more precisely very close to Borj Sidi Maimoun, another architectural jewel is located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and the Portuguese ramparts of the city. At first glance, the Raissouni Palace seems to be a dwelling like any other, transformed into a house of culture. However, the building has a history linked to Moulay Ahmed Raissouni, governor of the city of Assilah, of the Jbala tribes, of Ksar El Kbir and Larache under the reign of Sultan Moulay Hafid.
Wanting to show off their wealth to dazzle Europeans
The building was built by Moulay Ahmed Raissouni in 1909, following his appointment by a dahir, says the historian specializing in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, Ali Raissouni. The “sherif” sat in several towns, but had decided to make Assilah his capital. He undertook the construction of a palace in order to “impress the eyes of Europeans who live in Tangier and who considered that Moroccans are still in the era of traditional clay constructions”, explains the historian.
His residence was then synonymous with “modernity” and “beautiful architecture”. “He wanted to build a place of residence worthy of his title and his power. He brought in the zelliges which still adorn the entrance to the palace in Seville and the marble from Italy”, says, for his part, Mustapha Ziane, another historian relayed by Morocco today.
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The front of the Raissouni palace. / Ph. DR
However, the notable will only stay a few years in the house. In 1913, he began “the jihad in the north of the kingdom” to fight the Spanish occupier and therefore left his palace. The Spaniards then seized the house for several years before the Moroccan government recovered it much later.
The ksar was restored and fitted out in 1998. The place is an architectural jewel with its marble floor paved with zellige, the refined sculptures which adorn its ceilings and the large courtyard which can accommodate grandiose receptions. A fountain that once existed there has been removed. Two other floors have dozens of rooms where visitors can get lost and go back in time. The place is an ode to the luxury that once existed.
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An overview of the interior architecture of the palace. / Ph. DR
