Encompassing twelve homes and a number of other annexes, El Glaoui Palace is extra a palatial complicated than a palace per se. The preliminary development started round 1860, with additions persevering with by the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Initially, the palace was constructed by Haj Omar Tazi, the Finance Minister of Morocco. Nonetheless, in 1907, the highly effective Glaoui household seized the property, marking the beginning of their rise to prominence.
No account of El Glaoui Palace can be full with out acknowledging the controversial legacy of the household that owned it. There isn't a doubt that the Glaoui collaborated with the French colonial authorities, and there's some convincing proof that they both orchestrated or, on the very least, accepted of the exile of King Mohammed V. Brutality was a defining trait of their ruling model, with enemies not merely defeated however usually subjected to grisly shows, similar to heads impaled on spikes alongside the kasbah partitions.
Upon taking possession of the palace, the Glaoui household ensured that it was outfitted with probably the most up-to-date services. It's usually mentioned that the El Glaoui Palace was the primary constructing in Morocco to be outfitted with electrical energy and central heating. This declare might be true so long as personal buildings are involved.
The palace additionally encompasses a number of courtyards, gardens, and fountains. Because of the piecemeal additions by the years, unconventional passages had been created between totally different elements of the palace, which fuelled speculations that there have to be secret passages, and even tunnels connecting El Glaoui Palace with different palaces owned by outstanding households.
These days, some sections of the complicated are privately owned, whereas others are open for the general public to understand the structure of El Glaoui Palace. As of 2025, some rooms of the palace are used for showcasing paintings of Amazigh artists, together with the caretaker-artist Abdou.
