Marrakech Museum

Art museum in Marrakesh, Morocco

Marrakech Museum

Main courtyard of the Marrakech Museum

Established| 1997
Location| Marrakesh, Morocco
Coordinates| 31°37′52″N 7°59′12″W﻿ / ﻿31.6312°N 7.9868°W﻿ / 31.6312; -7.9868
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]

## History

[edit]

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]

## Architecture

[edit]

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]

* Entrance courtyard of the museum

* The main interior courtyard of the palace/museum

* Ornate wall fountain in the main courtyard, with painted wood and zellij decoration

* Brass chandelier over the middle of the courtyard

* One of the chambers and exhibition rooms off the courtyard, with painted wood ceiling and stucco and zellij wall decoration

* Domed ceiling in the hammam section of the palace

## Museum collection

[edit]

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]

* 19th-century saddle on display in the museum (and historic rifle in the background)

* A 19th-century kummiya (dagger)

* Berber jewellery (20th century)

* Jewish liturgical objects on display

## See also

[edit]

* Dar Si Said (another arts and crafts museum in Marrakesh)
* Bahia Palace (major palace with similar architecture in Marrakesh)
* Dar Batha (similar museum in Fes)

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marrakech Museum.

1. ^ a b c d "Musée de Marrakech | Marrakesh, Morocco Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
2. ^ a b c d The Rough Guide to Morocco (9th ed.). Rough Guides. 2010. p. 359\. ISBN 9781848369771.
3. ^ a b c d e f Wilbaux, Quentin (2001). La médina de Marrakech: Formation des espaces urbains d'une ancienne capitale du Maroc. Paris: L'Harmattan. pp. 290–291\. ISBN 2747523888.
4. ^ a b c "Le quartier ibn Yūsuf". Bulletin du patrimoine de Marrakech et de sa région. March 2019.
5. ^ Lonely Planet Morocco (12th ed.). Lonely Planet. 2017.
6. ^ Historique – Expositions – Plan du musée (information plaque posted near entrance of the museum). Consulted December 2014.
7. ^ "Marrakech Museum - Opening Hours, Price and Location in Marrakech". www.introducingmarrakech.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
8. ^ "Guide | Marrakech : Le musée de marrakech". www.espace-maroc.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
9. ^ Guide du Routard: Marrakech – Montagnes du Haut Atlas et Essaouira. Hachette Tourisme. 2020. p. 132\. ISBN 9782017868958.

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Marrakesh

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* Annakhil
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neighbourhoods|

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|

competitions|

* FIA WTCR Race of Morocco
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Landmarks|

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* Jemaa el-Fnaa

|

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* Kutubiyya Mosque
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* Zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes
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City walls and gates|

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* For city walls and other gates, see: Walls of Marrakesh

Palaces &
mansions|

* El Badi Palace
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* Mamounia Hotel

Museums|

* Marrakech Museum
* Dar Si Saïd Museum
* Berber Museum (in Majorelle Garden)
* Mouassine Museum
* Museum of Confluences (Dar el Bacha)
* Museum of Photography
* Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL)
* Tiskiwin Museum

Parks &
gardens|

* Menara gardens
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Other landmarks|

* Almoravid Koubba
* Ben Youssef Madrasa
* Mouassine Fountain
* Shrob ou Shouf Fountain
* Oued Tensift Bridge

Culture and events|

* Marrakech International Film Festival
* Marrakech Air Show

People|

* See Category:People from Marrakesh

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Islamic museums

Africa|

* Egypt (Museum of Islamic Art, Museum of Islamic Ceramics)
* Libya (Islamic Museum of Tripoli, Red Castle Museum)
* Morocco (Dar Batha Museum, Majorelle Garden, Marrakech Museum)
* Tunisia (Bardo National Museum, Mahdia Museum, National Museum of Islamic Art)

Asia|

| South|

* Afghanistan (Museum of Islamic Art)
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* Malaysia (Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Islamic Heritage Museum, Kelantan Islamic Museum, Malay and Islamic World Museum, Malacca Al-Quran Museum, Malacca Islamic Museum, Penang Islamic Museum, Sabah Islamic Civilisation Museum, Sabah Museum)
* Philippines (Aga Khan Museum of Islamic Arts)
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West|

* Bahrain (Beit Al Quran)
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* Israel/Palestine (Islamic Museum, Museum for Islamic Art)
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* Qatar (Museum of Islamic Art, National Museum of Qatar)
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* Turkey Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, İstanbul Archaeology Museums, Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam, Museum of Turkish Calligraphy Art, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Topkapi Palace Museum, Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum)
* United Arab Emirates (Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, Zayed National Museum)

Europe|

* Denmark (David Collection)
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North
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* Canada (Aga Khan Museum)
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Oceania|

* Australia (Islamic Museum of Australia)

Virtual|

* Museum with No Frontiers

Part of Islamic arts

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Palaces and historic residences in Morocco

Fez|

* Royal Palace of Fez
* Dar Batha
* Dar el-Beida
* Dar Adiyel
* Dar Ba Mohammed Chergui
* Dar Glaoui
* Dar Moqri
* Jamai Palace
* Mnebhi Palace

Marrakesh|

* Royal Palace of Marrakesh
* Agdal Gardens and palaces
* Aïn Kassimou
* Badi Palace
* Bahia Palace
* Dar Cherifa
* Dar el Bacha
* Dar Si Said
* Dar Mnebbhi (Marrakech Museum)
* Dar Moulay Ali
* Menara Gardens
* Douiria of Mouassine (Mouassine Museum)
* Mamounia

Meknes|

* Kasbah of Moulay Ismail (Dar al-Makhzen, Dar al-Kebira, and others)
* Dar Jamai

Rabat|

* Royal Palace of Rabat
* Dar Es Salam Palace
* French Protectorate Residence
* Pavilion of Moulay Ismail (Oudayas Museum)

Tangier|

* Kasbah Palace
* Marshan Palace
* Abdelhafid Palace
* Mendoubia
* Mendoub's Residence
* American Legation Museum

Other locations|

* Royal Palace of Casablanca
* Raisuli Palace
* Kasbah Amridil
* Kasbah Taourirt
* Kasbah Telouet
* Royal Palace of Tétouan

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Architecture

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