Marrakech Museum


The Museum of Marrakech is an art museum located in the old center of Marrakesh, Morocco.

History

The museum is housed in the Dar Mnebhi Palace, constructed at the end of the 19th century by Mehdi Mnebhi. The palace was carefully renovated by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation and converted into a museum in 1997.

Architecture

The house itself represents an example of classical Moorish architecture, with fountains in the central courtyard, traditional seating areas, a hammam and intricate tilework and carvings. The museum's large atrium was originally a courtyard, and is now covered in glass and fabric. It contains a huge, centrally draped chandelier-like ceiling piece consisting of metal plates decorated with fine geometric and epigraphic cuttings. Several features of the original courtyard, including the floor-set basins and mosaics have been retained.

Museum collection

The museum holds exhibits of both modern and traditional Moroccan art together with fine examples of historical books, coins and pottery of Berber, Moroccan Jewish and Islamic cultures.