The house

A house that keeps to itself, at the end of its derb.

Riad Azzouna 13 hides at the end of a derb in Kaat Benahid, one of the oldest quarters of the Medina, a few steps from the Medersa Ben Youssef and the Maison de la Photographie. Once through the door, the clamour of the souks falls away — and the house tells itself room by room: the patio and its two bhous, the fireplace salon, the hammam, the terrace.

Kaat Benahid
Medersa Ben Youssef
Maison de la Photographie

the house — Kaat Benahid quarter

The riad's enfilade — a bronze lantern and an old portrait at the end of the white corridor

fig. — the house

The patio & the fountain

A generous patio flanked by two bhous,
the fountain at its centre.

The patio of Riad Azzouna 13 — the fountain on its zellige, the black-arched bhou and its great lantern

the patio — two bhous, one fountain

The patio's tall black moucharabieh doors, the fountain basin in the foreground

fig. 01 — the patio

At the heart of the house, a generous patio flanked by two bhous — the open-air lounges of Moroccan tradition — invites you to linger around the fountain with a book or a glass of mint tea. From one bhou to the other, white banquettes face each other; potted olive trees climb towards the light, lanterns wait for evening.

The day settles itself here: breakfast a few steps from your room, reading in the shade of the arches, tea on the way back from the souks — to the steady murmur of the water.

bhous — the house's open-air lounges: 02 bhous — the house's open-air lounges
a fountain, potted olive trees, zellige: ✦ a fountain, potted olive trees, zellige

The lounges

The bhous for the day, the fireplace for the evening.

For as long as the light lasts, the two bhous serve as the house's lounges — open to the patio, sheltered by their arches. On cooler evenings, the fireplace-warmed salon takes over: intimate dinners of home-cooked Moroccan cuisine are set between deep banquettes and niches where the lanterns keep watch.

On winter evenings, you linger
by the fireside.

fig. 02 — the lounges

The salon of Riad Azzouna 13 — cream L-shaped banquettes, a black table and lantern-lit niches — The salon, by candlelight

The salon beneath its dark wood ceiling, the three niches aglow

As evening falls

The house turns to lantern light.

At dusk the lanterns are lit between the columns and the fountain keeps up its murmur alone. It is the hour of the traditional hammam, set within the riad beneath its tadelakt vault.

The patio of Riad Azzouna 13 by night — columns, lanterns and the fountain, the lit salon beyond — The patio, after dark

The tadelakt vault of Riad Azzouna 13's hammam and its niche of three lit arches — The hammam, beneath the vault

The riad's traditional hammam — pale tadelakt, a copper pail and lit arches

The ritual, by candlelight

The hammam, an age-old ritual.

Heat, steam, a black-soap scrub: the ritual has been handed down here for centuries, beneath the tadelakt vault, in the glow of the three-arched niche. Massages and beauty treatments carry the moment further — both are booked with the house, same day or ahead.

Massages & treatments, on request

The terrace

Up on the roofs, the Koutoubia and the Atlas at sunset.

High above, a sprawling terrace unfolds across several spaces: deckchairs in the sun, shaded pergolas, a dining corner beneath the stars. You climb up for breakfast among the potted olive trees, come back for tea — and at dusk, the Koutoubia and the peaks of the Atlas turn gold on the horizon.

the terrace — deckchairs, pergolas, dining corner

The terrace of Riad Azzouna 13 at breakfast — a laid table, a potted olive tree and terracotta walls — Breakfast, up on the terrace

The terrace's wooden tables — brass teapot, straw stools and white banquettes

fig. 03 — the terrace

The deckchairs

Sun from morning to evening, a book in hand

The pergolas

Shade for the hottest hours

III

The dining corner

Breakfasts in the sun, dinners beneath the stars

Discover the rooms & suites

Whether you come to roam the souks, seek out an artisan’s workshop or simply do nothing at all — Riad Azzouna 13 is your anchor in the heart of Marrakech. The passing guest is received as a friend: that is the Chez Sophie spirit.

The Chez Sophie spirit

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