 Main courtyard of the Marrakech Museum | |
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| Established | 1997 |
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| Location | Marrakesh, Morocco |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 31°37′52″N7°59′12″W / 31.6312°N 7.9868°W |
| Type | art museum |
| Key holdings | numismatics, ceramics |
| Collections | Moorish art |
The Museum of Marrakech is a historic palace and museum located in the old center of Marrakesh, Morocco. In addition to its notable architecture, the museum's collection showcases various historic art objects and contemporary art from Morocco. [1] [2]
The museum is housed in the Dar Mnebhi Palace, constructed at the beginning of the 20th century by Mehdi al-Mnebhi. [3] [4] Al-Mnebhi was a qaid of the Mnabha tribe and the vizier (minister) of war under Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, from 1900 to 1908, replacing Ba Ahmad as the sultan's favourite. [3] [5] [4] Al-Mnebhi also had other residences such as the Mnebhi Palace in Fez. His Marrakesh palace was later seized by the family of Pasha Thami El Glaoui, the autocratic ruler of southern Morocco under French rule, while Mnebhi was out of the country and serving as ambassador in London. After Morocco regained its independence (1956), the palace was seized by the state and in 1965 it was converted to a girls' school. After a period of neglect, the palace was carefully renovated by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation and converted into a museum in 1997. [1] [4] [2] [3]
The palace is an example of late 19th-century and early 20th-century Moroccan architecture, one of many such palaces built by wealthy elites during this period. [3] The palace consists of a large central courtyard, which was originally an open riad garden planted with trees, [3] but today is fully paved and roofed over. The courtyard is centered around several fountains and surrounded by roofed galleries and wall fountains, all decorated with colorful zellij tilework and painted and carved cedar wood. The courtyard today also contains a huge, central chandelier made up of brass pieces cut into ornate geometric and arabesque motifs. Various rooms branch off the courtyard, including chambers with more ornate wood and stucco decoration. The palace also had roof terraces with a menzeh (pavilion) that provided it with views over the rest of the city. It was also equipped with multiple facilities typical of large palaces, such as kitchens and a hammam (bathhouse) – the latter being distinguished by its characteristic domed and vaulted chambers. [3] [1] [2]
The museum holds a diverse collection of traditional art objects from different regions of Morocco and different parts of its population, such as, weapons, carpets, costumes, pottery from Fez, Berber jewellery, Jewish liturgical objects, and more. The museum also holds exhibits of contemporary art and other themes in its kitchen and hammam sections, and sometimes hosts cultural events such as theatre and concerts. [6] [1] [7] [2] [8] [9]
Marrakesh or Marrakech is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region. The city is situated west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Marrakesh is 580 km (360 mi) southwest of Tangier, 327 km (203 mi) southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 km (149 mi) south of Casablanca, and 246 km (153 mi) northeast of Agadir.
A riad is a type of traditional Moroccan and Andalusi interior garden or courtyard associated with house and palace architecture. Its origin is generally attributed to Persian gardens that spread during the Islamic period. The term is nowadays often used in Morocco to refer to a hotel or guesthouse-style accommodation with shared common areas and private rooms, often within a restored traditional mansion.
Moroccan architecture refers to the architecture characteristic of Morocco throughout its history and up to modern times. The country's diverse geography and long history, marked by successive waves of settlers through both migration and military conquest, are all reflected in its architecture. This architectural heritage ranges from ancient Roman and Berber (Amazigh) sites to 20th-century colonial and modern architecture.
The Bahia Palace is a mid to late 19th-century palace in Marrakesh, Morocco. The palace was first begun by Si Musa, grand vizier of Alaouite sultan Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, in 1859 and then continued and expanded by his son Si Ba Ahmed ibn Musa, grand vizier of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz between 1894 and 1900. Today it is a well-known historic monument and tourist attraction in the city.
This article describes notable landmarks and architecture in the city of Marrakesh, Morocco.
The Ben Youssef Mosque, is a mosque in the Medina quarter of Marrakesh, Morocco, named after the Almoravid emir Ali ibn Yusuf. It is arguably the oldest and most important mosque in Marrakesh.
Dar Batḥa, or Qasr al-Batḥa, is a former royal palace in the city of Fez, Morocco. The palace was commissioned by the Alaouite Sultan Hassan I in the late 19th century and finished under his successor Abdelaziz. It was converted into a museum of historical arts and crafts in 1915 with a collection that now comprises over 6,500 objects. The palace is located near Bab Bou Jeloud at the western edge of Fes el-Bali, the old medina quarter of the city, and close to Fes el-Jdid, the new medina quarter. It is adjacent to the Dar el-Beida palace located to its southeast, which was originally part of the same complex.
The Ben Salah Mosque or Ben Saleh Mosque is a 14th-century Marinid mosque in the historic medina of Marrakesh, Morocco. It is the only major surviving Marinid-era monument in Marrakesh and is notable for its fine minaret.
The architecture of Fez, Morocco, reflects the wider trends of Moroccan architecture dating from the city's foundation in the late 8th century and up to modern times. The old city (medina) of Fes, consisting of Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, is notable for being an exceptionally well-preserved medieval North African city and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A large number of historic monuments from different periods still exist in it today, including mosques, madrasas, synagogues, hammams (bathhouses), souqs (markets), funduqs (caravanserais), defensive walls, city gates, historic houses, and palaces.
Dar el Bacha is a palace located in the old medina of Marrakesh, Morocco.
The Zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes or Zaouia of Sidi Bel-Abbès is an Islamic religious complex (zawiya) in Marrakesh, Morocco. The complex is centered around the mausoleum of Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti, a Sufi teacher who died in 1204. He is the most venerated of the Seven Saints of Marrakesh, generally considered the "patron saint" of the city. The zawiya's architecture dates in part to the late Saadian period but has been modified and restored multiple times since then.
Dar Si Said is a historic late 19th-century palace and present-day museum in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The Mnebhi Palace or Menebhi Palace, also known by its French name Palais Mnebhi, is a historic early 20th-century palace in Fes el-Bali, the old medina of Fes, Morocco. It is notable for both its lavish architecture as well as for being the place where the 1912 Treaty of Fes was officially signed. It is located on Tala'a Seghira street, one of the main souq streets of the city.
The Jamai Palace, also known as the Dar Jama'i or the Palais Jamaï, is a historic late 19th-century mansion in Fes, Morocco, which was subsequently converted to a luxury hotel. It is near Bab Guissa in Fes el-Bali.
The Mouassine Museum is a museum in the Mouassine neighbourhood of the historic medina of Marrakesh, Morocco. The museum is housed in a recently restored 16th to 17th-century house which includes an upper-floor apartment known as a douiria. It was recently converted to a Museum of Music, with permanent and temporary exhibits.
The Kasbah of Moulay Ismail is a vast palace complex and royal kasbah (citadel) built by the Moroccan sultan Moulay Isma'il ibn Sharif in Meknes, Morocco. It is also known, among other names, as the Imperial City or Palaceof Moulay Ismail, or the Kasbah of Meknes. It was built by Moulay Isma'il over the many decades of his reign between 1672 and 1727, when he made Meknes the capital of Morocco, and received occasional additions under later sultans.
The Dar Jamai Museum is a museum in Meknes, Morocco. It displays a number of artifacts and art objects from the city and other regions in Morocco. It is housed in a late 19th-century palace built by the Jama'i family who also built the Jamai Palace in Fes.
The Mausoleum of Moulay Isma'il is a historic Islamic funerary complex in Meknes, Morocco. It contains the tomb of Sultan Moulay Isma'il, who ruled Morocco from 1672 until his death in 1727, and is located inside his former Kasbah (citadel). It is a major historic and religious site in the city.
Dar Glaoui or Glaoui Palace is a late 19th-century and early 20th-century palace in Fez, Morocco. It was owned by the Glaoui family, whose most famous members were the Grand Vizier Madani and his brother Thami, pasha of Marrakech. The palace is located in the southwestern district of Fes el-Bali, in an area containing other historic mansions.
Dar Cherifa, historically known as Dar Ijimi, is a late 16th-century house in the medina of Marrakesh, Morocco. It is located in the Mouassine neighbourhood and is one of the few well-preserved houses from the Saadian period in the city. In recent years it has been restored and is now used as a café and art gallery.
Palaces and historic residences in Morocco | ||
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| Fez |   | |
| Marrakesh | ||
| Meknes |
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| Rabat | ||
| Tangier | ||
| Other locations | ||
| General | |
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