Museums in Morocco, the 10 best

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Morocco is a wonderful place to visit if you like culture. There is always something to pique your curiosity in Marrakech, Fez, Meknes and Chefchaouen. They offer distinct customs, extensive works of art and tempting accommodations in traditional riads. There are intriguing places to visit with literary associations, as well as lots of beautiful architecture. Explore the many museums in Morocco in our article to learn more about the nation and see a wide variety of objects.

Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rabat

The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI) was inaugurated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in October 2014. It is one of the first museums in Morocco dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary art. It is also the first public institution in Morocco to meet international museum standards. The architecture of the museum is inextricably linked with the city of Rabat. The structure arose from the desire to integrate into the urban fabric of the capital. The architecture of the latter is defined by both its own identity and a rich cultural mix.

Consequently, a conceptual approach was established that sought to harmonize the processes of contemporary creativity with the absorbed secular legacy. His Majesty King Mohammed VI has proposed the creation of a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary artistic creativity. Making high-level cultural facilities available to the nation is part of the real strategy. The creation of the first national museum of modern and contemporary art in Morocco is an important historical act with a clear objective: to create the conditions for the preservation and dissemination of our artistic heritage, while fostering creativity and working for the democratization and culture development.

Museum of Moroccan Judaism, Casablanca

The magnificent house that currently houses the museum was formerly a Jewish orphanage and was built in 1948. It served this purpose until the late 1970s. Morocco had the largest Jewish population of any Arab nation. Casablanca had about 70,000 Jewish inhabitants in the 1960s. In 1997, the same year that the Museum of Jewish Art and History opened in Paris, a cultural space was created in which Jews and Muslims could connect, as well as this Ethnographic Museum, which emphasizes Moroccan Jewish culture in Fez, Essaouira and Marrakech, where Moroccans came to work. In the Arab world there are no other museums dedicated to Jewish culture like the one in Morocco.

The discovery of the wonderful Moroccan Jewish crafts is accompanied by the song of the birds in the nearby gardens. It is a very nice part of the visit! 19th-century silver bracelets and fibulae, as well as pendants, amulets and anklets Dolls dressed in Judeo-Moroccan garb are displayed in a glass case. Sacred art occupies a broader area, including Megillah cases, Torahs with their gold thread-embroidered cloaks, and synagogue furniture. Also on display is a precious 17th-century Azemmour needlework. One part includes thebes of ancient synagogues, as well as wooden reading platforms where the rabbi officiates. An enchanting collection of artifacts to explore in a relaxed atmosphere.

Dar-el-Makhzen Museum, Tangier

Dar el Makhzen was erected in 1684 by Sultan Moulay Ismail, shortly after the departure of the English forces from Tangier. It functioned as the seat of the sultan's envoy under the protectorate, as well as the judiciary and the treasury.

This museum takes a journey through history to give us an idea of ​​Moroccan prehistory. In addition, it offers a spectacular display of the many civilizations that shaped the city: Greek, Roman, Phoenician, Berber and Arab.

All the wealth derived from the compulsory levies was kept in the treasure room of Dar el Makhzen. There you will find a safe locked by an ingenious system of the time. He has the right to request that it be opened to learn about the operation of this mechanism, which can only be opened by one person. The terrace, which served as the court of honor, is located in the heart of Dar el Makhzen.

Dar el Makhzen has hosted notable figures from the city's golden age. In fact, the most important diplomatic decisions were made in Tangier, in its backyard, from the very beginning. The Pasha of Tangier also formally received Delacroix.

Once inside, a spectacular Andalusian garden welcomes you, surrounded by arches painted with ceramics by Moroccan master craftsmen. In addition to a fascinating place that will transport you to the time of the sultans, with a small museum.

Amazigh Heritage Museum, Agadir

The Amazigh Heritage Museum is one of the museums in Morocco dedicated to the heritage of the Souss-Massa-cultural area of ​​Draa. Through its exhibitions and different conferences, it tells the story of the Berber people. The museum was inaugurated on February 29, 2000, a significant date since 40 years ago the city was devastated by a terrible earthquake that changed the history of the country. It has a total area of ​​more than 1000m2. Some artifacts from the Amazigh civilization can be found. Some 900 ancient objects are exhibited, such as traditional hand-woven rugs, clothing, ceramics, ethnic jewelry, handicrafts and manuscripts from the 16th century, among others.

This project is the result of a collaboration between the city of Agadir, which started it, and a team of French museographers, as well as a group of young people passionate about the history and customs of the region. In 1995, the city acquired a private collection of Berber jewelry, which included 932 pieces, 227 of which are now on display in the museum's galleries, as well as other symbols of Souss-Massa-Drâa. One of the main objectives of the Agadir Amazigh Heritage Museum is to promote traditional Moroccan crafts.

Marrakesh Museum, Marrakesh

The Marrakech Museum is housed in a historic palace where Mehdi Mnebhi, former military minister to Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, lived. The palace was built at the end of the 19th century.

The museum has been in this building since 1997, when the Omar Benjelloun Foundation, which also owns the Ben Youssef Medersa and the Almoravid Qoubba, bought it for rehabilitation. The palace had previously served as a residence and, in the 1960s, as a girls' school.

The museum's biggest attraction is its inner courtyard (look for the huge chandelier) and the rooms that surround it. The museum's collection is presented in these rooms, mainly made up of ceramics, weapons, rugs and other typical Moroccan objects. There is also a traditional hammam and a temporary exhibition area within the structure.

Bert Flint Museum, Marrakesh

The Bert Flint Museum is located near the Dar Si Said Museum. It is on one of the paths between the Mellah and Jemaa El Fna square. It has a large collection of artifacts from the Sahara area, including Morocco, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Bert Flint's devotion led to the creation of the Bert Flint Museum (Tiskiwin). This Dutchman became interested in Spanish Muslim culture after studying art history. In 1954, he traveled to Morocco after exploring and traveling around the world.

In 1957, he chose to reside in Marrakech after falling in love with the Moroccan way of life. Her interest and curiosity were piqued by her absorption in Moroccan life. He was fascinated by the visual and auditory representations of rural life in Morocco. Over time, he began to explore the intimate ties that existed between Morocco, the Sahara and Africa. His passion for this rural culture, as well as his studies, led him to create the Tiskiwin Museum.

Sidi Mohamed Ben-Abdellah Museum, Essaouira

The Sidi Mohamed Ben-Abdallah Museum, located in the heart of the medina of Essaouira, near the Seqala, one of the most emblematic historical sites of the city, is the ideal place to learn about the vibrant and fascinating history of Mogador-Essaouira. It is a city-world rich in the sum of the great Roman, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Amazigh, Jewish and Arab civilizations, and which continues to be a place of high cultural miscegenation.

This exhibition space, which opened its doors for the first time on October 20, 1980, on the occasion of the first music festival, has as its main vocation to translate and present the landscape and cultural wealth of the Essaouira region, and to do so through the presentation of a collection related to various topics of material and immaterial heritage that this city and its surroundings have more than enough.

This collection has been selected in order to highlight the ethnic variety of the city, while taking a tour of its historical past. Added to the historical richness of the city is its remarkable ecological potential, as evidenced by its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list on December 14, 2001.

Cinema Museum, Ouarzazate

On the occasion of the Day of the Throne, on July 30, 2007, the Ouarzazate Cinema Museum opened its doors. It was erected in 1981 by Italian film production companies on the site of a former film studio. The place, which occupies 2 hectares, is made up of several movie sets that have become places of worship in relation to the story of the Bible.

This museum, located in front of the Kasbah of Taourirte and next to the Ouarzazate Craft Complex, represents the municipality's objective of turning Ouarzazate into an important center of film production in Morocco.

Nejjarine Museum, Fes

The Nejjarine Museum of Woodworking Arts and Crafts is worth a visit for many reasons. First of all, the building itself, an old fondouk that has been beautifully restored, as evidenced by the two huge scales placed in the inner courtyard. The first level shows the many types of wood used and cultivated in Morocco, in particular the cedar root/loupe. Then there are the carpenter's, cabinetmaker's, and marker's tools. Although they do not go back centuries, the exhibits are of a high quality.

Borj Nord Museum, Fez

The Borj Nord was a Saadian fort erected north of Fez El Bali during the rule of Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour in 1582.

It was one of the largest observation posts in the city, inspired by the architecture of the Portuguese fortifications of the 16th century.

The Weapons Museum is now located in the Borj Nord. The weapons on display range from prehistory to modern times, and are arranged chronologically, from stone axes to cannons, as well as weapons of various types and nationalities.

Axes, halberds, pikes, spears, sabers, swords, Iranian helmets, saddles with their decorations, rifles, pistols, revolvers and cannons of various kinds are some of the exhibits.

The museum collections we provide represent the most beautiful and popular in Morocco. Even so, there are museums that are not mentioned here and that deserve to be visited, such as the National Museum of the 4X4 Automobile of Morocco, in Merzouga, owned by an Emirati.