THE HOUSE

Dar Kawa is situated in the heart of the Medina, old town, in the maze of souks… That is where the city of Marrakech was born. Here, between the spice market and Medersa Ben Youssef, between the common oven and the ‘hammam’ of the area, Dar Kawa was built right in the beginning of the 17th century. At that time, the house was the zaouïa of Derkaoua, a religious building of the brotherhood of the same name. In the middle of these walls with Saadian architecture, one prayed, meditated, exchanged in total serenity. Dar Kawa has preserved its tranquillity and its revitalizing energy.

Acquired by Valérie Barkowski, the house was restored the first time in 1999 with the help and the reliable  advice of Quentin Wilbaux, a Belgian architect, a true connoisseur of the medina of Marrakech. Work was conducted with reverence and care in order to get as close as possible to the original architecture. Since then, each year, minor modifications improve the whole building. But, materials are always chosen with simplicity and authenticity. Cedar is used for all woodwork, tiles are made of cement… everything corresponds to ancestral Moroccan culture. Sober colours have moreover been chosen to allow its proportions and its refinement to be expressed totally. Here, everything is thought of to play with the senses and the Moroccan lifestyle. The smell of orange trees, traditional and local food, home-made linen…a simple and delicious “slow life”.

Photo credit : Tania Panova, Jasmine Vanhevel