Bahia Palace hosted Rencontres opening on 7 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 05:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Bahia Palace hosted the opening of the Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech on 7 October 2026.
- The exhibition programme at Bahia Palace included work by Qi Hao, Noureddine El Warari and Cynthia Cooper on 7 October 2026.
- The Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech ran from 7 to 10 October 2026 across several venues in Marrakesh.
- Exhibitions from the festival were scheduled to remain visible through 30 November 2026.
Bahia Palace (Palais de la Bahia) hosted the opening of the Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech on 7 October 2026, linking the Marrakesh monument to a city-wide photography programme. The festival ran from 7 to 10 October, while its exhibitions were scheduled to remain visible through 30 November 2026.
The event placed Morocco, China and international photography in the same programme at one of Marrakesh's best-known historic palaces.
Rencontres de la Photographie opened at Bahia Palace
The sixth edition of the Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech opened across several venues in the city. The programme was presented under the theme Two Centuries of Light, marking the bicentenary of photography in 2026. The official festival programme placed the grand opening and vernissage at the palace at 6pm on 7 October 2026.
The opening exhibitions connected Moroccan and Chinese photographers through the display Regards croisés Chine-Maroc. Qi Hao and Noureddine El Warari presented the results of an exchange involving artists from Morocco and Ningbo. Cynthia Cooper also showed Silk Road, Road of the Heart, a photographic journey along the historic Silk Road route.
The programme continued at the palace as part of a wider route through the Meydene, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Museum of Moroccan Culinary Art, the Sofitel and the Mövenpick. A detailed festival schedule listed the opening week from 7 to 10 October 2026 and the exhibition run through 30 November 2026.
A late nineteenth-century palace frames the photography
The building is a late nineteenth-century palace in Marrakesh, constructed by Si Moussa, a grand vizier of the sultan. Its setting includes complex courtyards, zellige tilework and Andalusian gardens, according to the palace visitor information.
That architecture gives the festival a particular relationship between image and place. The China-Morocco exchange and Cooper's Silk Road work were not presented in a neutral gallery, but within courtyards and rooms shaped by Moroccan decorative traditions. The programme therefore connected contemporary photography with a building whose surfaces and gardens are themselves part of the visitor experience.
The festival also extended beyond the palace. Its opening week included projections, exhibitions, portfolio readings, professional meetings and a discovery prize at other Marrakesh venues. The palace was the setting for the opening night, while the wider programme distributed photography across the city.
Visiting Bahia Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The palace hosted the festival opening and vernissage on 7 October 2026 as part of the Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech.
- The opening week ended on 10 October 2026, but the festival information stated that exhibitions would remain visible through 30 November 2026.
- The venue is in Marrakesh, Morocco, within the historic medina. The festival programme also used sites in M Avenue, Hivernage and other central parts of the city.
- The building includes courtyards, gardens, tiled surfaces and rooms within a historic palace, so the visit combines interior spaces with open-air areas and changing floor surfaces.
- Morocco's official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and its national currency is the Moroccan dirham.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Bahia Palace
When did the Rencontres de la Photographie open at Bahia Palace?
The opening and vernissage took place at 6pm on 7 October 2026. The festival opening week ran from 7 to 10 October 2026.
What photography was shown at Bahia Palace?
The programme included Regards croisés Chine-Maroc by Qi Hao and Noureddine El Warari, plus Cynthia Cooper's Silk Road, Road of the Heart.
Where is Bahia Palace and how do you get there?
It is in the historic medina of Marrakesh, Morocco. The festival also used venues in M Avenue, Hivernage and other parts of the city.
