Discover Morocco's fascinating history and culture through its museums
Museums bear witness to history and reflect the traditions and legacies of all civilisations. Visiting them enriches and teaches us. They are an essential part of culture. Cultural tourism finds an important exponent in Morocco, where museums reflect the history of the country.
Moroccan architecture from all periods, haute couture and traditional crafts fill the halls of dozens of museums throughout the country. Some of these works are real treasures created by national and international artists. These museums tell the history of the country, and are living places where culture meets, exchanges and coexists. These objectives are closely linked to those of Morocco's National Museum Foundation (FNM), an institution that occupies a prominent place in the country's cultural landscape. The FNM has a permanent ambition to include culture as an essential element of the Kingdom's economic and social development.
Museo Yves Saint Laurent, Marrakech
Fifteen years have passed since Yves Saint Laurent's last fashion show at the Pompidou Centre and the closure of the haute couture house that bears his name. Fifteen years during which the couturier's heritage has been preserved by the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent, whose mission is to safeguard and share a unique collection: the creative work of Yves Saint Laurent.
For forty years, the couturier developed a style all his own. By accompanying women's liberation, the many iconic garments he designed have become part of the history of the 20th century. The reefer, trench coat, dinner jacket, trouser suit and safari jacket became an integral part of a woman's everyday wardrobe. Located very close to the Majorelle Garden - purchased by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980 - the YVES SAINT LAURENT Museum in Marrakech occupies a new 4,000 m² building. It includes a 400 m² permanent exhibition space dedicated to the work of Yves Saint Laurent and designed by Christophe Martin.
Morocco, a city he discovered in 1966, had a great influence on his work and colours, as did his imaginary travels: Japan, India, Russia, China and Spain were sources of inspiration for his collections.
The museum also includes a room for temporary exhibitions and a research library with more than 5,000 volumes.
More information: https://www.museeyslmarrakech.com/en/
The Bahia Palace, Marrakesh
In the heart of the city lies a palace that captivates visitors with its beauty. More than a cultural site, the palace is a living demonstration of Moroccan Islamic architecture.
A masterpiece that combines brilliant colours, the art of zellige and marble, lush gardens and exciting stories.
More information: https://www.visitmorocco.com
Villa Harris, Tangier Museum
More than a museum, Villa Harris is a historic building that was in the last century the scene of a sumptuous past in a then turbulent Tangier that was central to the challenges of the time.
Designed and built at the end of the 19th century by the British Walter Burton Harris, a journalist and correspondent for The Times, the villa faces the Mediterranean, the cradle of many civilisations.
Villa Harris has reinvented itself as a place of exchange and culture that houses two centuries of Moroccan art history and highlights the artistic influence of the Mediterranean world and the ongoing dialogue between the two shores.
Jamaâ El-Fna, Marrakesh's museum of intangible heritage
The first branch of the Moroccan state bank was built in Marrakesh in 1922 on the legendary Jamaâ el-Fna square. The two architects Auguste Cadet and Edmond Brion designed a building that blends in perfectly with the buildings on the square. The Museum of Intangible Heritage of Jamaâ el-Fna is part of the restoration and rehabilitation strategy carried out by the National Museum Foundation. Its main mission is to tell the story of the square and highlight the arts of the halqa and to raise public awareness of the importance of this common heritage in order to preserve it and pass it on to future generations.
In 2008, UNESCO classified the Jamaâ el-Fna square as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It embodies the richness and diversity of the confluence of Moroccan identity. In the 11th century, the square became a central crossroads for the foundation of the city of Marrakech. It offers an exceptional concentration of oral and cultural traditions through tales, music, snake charmers, musicians...
Dar Niaba Museum, Tangier
Dar Niaba is located opposite the Assayag Synagogue, next to the J. Serrano Church and near the Bait Yahuda Museum of Judaism. The proposed museum collection enshrines Tangier's role as an emblematic space for encounters and exchanges, in the image of the Kingdom. The luminous and colourful atmosphere of Tangier and Morocco have nourished several artists whose works are presented to the public.
After the occupation of Algeria in 1830 and the defeat at the Battle of Isly in 1844, tensions between the two nations intensified. Morocco experienced a period marked by the presence of the diplomatic corps, around which a strong European presence gravitated. This soon gave the city a cosmopolitan tone and established important foreign interests.
The sultan realised that the country needed an administration to deal with foreign affairs. The Mekhzen opted for a compromise solution: in 1851, under the reign of Moulay Abderrahmane (1822-1859), a new Makhzenian institution was created in Tangier, to be called Dar Niaba Essaida. A Naib Essoltane was appointed to head it.
Dar Niaba is located opposite the Assayag Synagogue, next to the J. Serrano Church and near the Bait Yahuda Museum of Judaism. The proposed museum collection enshrines Tangier's role as an emblematic space for encounters and exchanges, in the image of the Kingdom. The luminous and colourful atmosphere of Tangier and Morocco have nourished several artists whose works are presented to the public. After the occupation of Algeria in 1830 and the defeat at the Battle of Isly in 1844, tensions between the two nations intensified.
Morocco experienced a period marked by the presence of the diplomatic corps, around which a strong European presence gravitated. This soon gave the city a cosmopolitan tone and established important foreign interests. The sultan realised that the country needed an administration to deal with foreign affairs. The Mekhzen opted for a compromise solution: in 1851, under the reign of Moulay Abderrahmane (1822-1859), a new Makhzenian institution was created in Tangier, to be called Dar Niaba Essaida. A Naib Essoltane was appointed to direct it.
Kasbah Museum, contemporary art space, Tangier
Is located within the walls of the former Kasbah prison, built in the 17th century. The building known as the "Kasbah Prison" was part of the monumental complex of Dar El Mekhzen, the administrative and political centre of the ancient city of Tangier.
The prison's history spanned three centuries and ended at the end of the 20th century. This prison, which remained in operation until the 1970s, was built by Ahmed Ben Ali Errifi.
Today this renovated site, renamed the Kasbah Museum - Contemporary Art Space, complements the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures, located a few metres away.
A space for temporary exhibitions, it is a lively place for meeting, exchange and coexistence, offering a cultural programme and exhibitions mainly related to the north of the region.
Batha Museum, Fez
A museum of arts and crafts that showcases the traditional crafts of the Fez region. Inside the Batha palace, you will find precious objects, blue pottery, carpets, wooden decorations and costumes.
More information: https://www.visitmorocco.com