Continuing with a tour of riads and dars … I think Astrakan Cafe by Anouar Brahem on ECM suits the mood of this dar, especially Track 14 Astrakan Cafe – 2 and Track 8 Parfum de gitane. Part 1 of this post is here.

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On our return to Marrakech in the second week, we booked into Dar Darma. IT selected this property because of its unique interiors.

As we mentioned in part 1 (here), most rooms in a riad/dar do not have outward facing window. Partly it is because there is no view in a dense urban setting (where most riads/dars are situated) and more importantly, for religious and privacy reasons. The occupants cherish their privacy and tranquility. As such, many of such homes in the medina have no frontage and are recognized only by an unassuming door. The photo above shows one of two entrances to Dar Darma, the other one is, we think the backdoor, which is even more modest.

Part of the fun in staying at a riad or dar is the sense of discovery and wonder when one first steps inside.

To start, there is usually such a contrast between the hot, chaotic, messy public alleyways and the finely decorated, calm, cool and darkened interiors, followed by a view of clear running water in the center of a tiled garden populated with fragrant plants.

Then, as one explores the property, there is the unexpected and original designs that have been executed by the architect to transform a traditional home into a business that provides hospitality.

As we were welcomed into Dar Darma, we were led through a labyrinth of passages, halls, seating areas, and narrow stairs. We were totally disoriented.

The interiors were all dimly lit, but it was adequate for seeing where to go. Can you imagine this place illuminated only by candles ?  A bit creepy.

All the interior spaces have a soaring ceiling – at least 15 feet – with matching tall windows looking out to a garden or courtyard.

We booked one of the six suites. Our suite was the Red suite – two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and a living room – look at the walls of the living room.

An arched entry leads to our bedroom framed by a traditional full-height door that carries a smaller one.

Our medieval-looking bed was situated in the middle of an elongated, high-ceiling room. The stripes on the wall accentuated the vertical dimension. The ensuite bathroom was at the far end.

The bathroom was spaciously cave-like (reminded us of Riad Tawarjit) with two separate bath/showers, illuminated by this massive ornate light. It has to be the most dramatically-lit bathroom we have ever used in our travels.

IT’s room was on the other side of the living room, with a set of double doors.

Two “armored” giant vases flanked a small fireplace. A piece of leopard-skin was laid out in front of a TV hidden in a cabinet. The rug was old – the poor cat was probably not an endangered species at the time it became a rug.

We had not seen any skin of exotic animal for sale in the souks – a little surprising since we were in Africa.  A benign observation it was as we do not condone such trade. Plenty of leather, though.

IT’s room was decorated with period furniture and a creepy old photograph (see photo below).

It was nice to share breakfast in our living room. There was an option to have breakfast on the roof terrace which we took the next day. Our living room had windows overlooking a shallow pool with pink petals, surrounded by giant vases (see the photo near the top of the page).

Steep steps lead up to the roof terrace. The black-and-white theme is consistently executed throughout the property.

Compared to the two floors below, the roof terrace was relatively spartan or modern (depending on your taste). In the riads/dars we visited, the roof was always devoted to relaxing – having a drink, a snack under an umbrella, or a dip in a rooftop pool.

There was a small swimming pool up there but it was drained. January was their off-season, after all.

This property does not have a reception. The manager works in a small room somewhere in the labyrinth, we saw it but probably could not find it again.

The very personable concierge gave us a brief tour of the property as it was mostly vacant on our day of arrival. On our own, we would have gotten hopelessly lost. We saw Asian-themed decorations in some rooms with possibly orientalist antiques.

Apparently, many large riads are amalgamations of several homes resulting in a collection of interconnecting courtyards and balconies. Like Dar Darma, they have interesting spaces, some hidden and cosy, while some offers a surprising view of a garden.

Wrapped around mirrors in one of the suites’ bathroom and shower for a very vain person.

Dar Darma is not palatial but it has a maze of rooms and corridors which hides its true size … and then we discovered a small garden.

Due to its layout, we hardly saw any guests, nor the service team – must be a great place to play a murder mystery game or hide-and-seek.

We really liked Dar Darma for its understated luxury and privacy.

Dar Darma’s website has more pictures. Check it out here.

Part 1 is here. More riads to come …