Museums Morocco - Attractions

The Museum of Islamic Art is situated in the original studio of the French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) in the wonderful garden created by the painter and open to the public. It exhibits the personal collection of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé who are the present owners of the building. The collection consists of carpets, pottery, jewelry, furniture and ancient doors from various countries. One room is specially dedicated to Majorelle's engravings and paintings depicting the Moroccan landscape. But the real reason to visit are the beautiful gardens. They first opened to public in 1947 and feature a fabulous array of plants from various countries. This wonderful botanical garden, with its big cactus, palm-trees, and bamboos is a true beauty and its colors harmonize with the famous deep blue chosen by Majorelle for his studio's façade. This museum opens daily at 8am.

The mansion Dar Si Said is situated in the lower Medina, close to its larger equivalent - the Bahia Palace. It was built in the 19th century by Si Said, minister of War under the regency of his brother Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed. It is a beautiful building made of two riads, pooled courtyards, surrounded by lemon trees, palms, and flowers and is home to a regional museum. The Big Riad has original Moorish Andalusian decorations and are a great testimony of 19th century luxury. The museum's main focal points is its current collection of woodwork from various origins, some dating as far back as 1000 years. It also displays jewelry, carpets, weaponry, musical instruments, pottery, ceramics, and some traditional wedding chairs from the Berber regions. The entrance fee is 20MAD.

To visit the ethnographic collection of the Maison Tiskiwin is to take a journey along the Gold Road from the Atlas Mountains to Timbuktu, crossing the regions of the Sahara and the Souss Valley. Here is the kingdom of Dutch art historian Bert Flint, the owner of the riad (traditional Moroccan house). This Moroccan rural art lover offers visitors a view of traditional costumes, jewelry, carpets, utensils, tools which have been collected over a period of 50 years. The museum divides its artifacts by geographic and cultural areas is worth a visit for its variety of displays. Entrance is MAD15.

During the fasting month of Ramadan, don't hesitate to make your way to Jemaâ El Fna Square at the break of the fast each dusk, to sample a good harira. Harira is an invigorating Moroccan soup that is often accompanied with dates. During Ramadan, Jemaâ El Fna is well attended and lively until very late. The Institut Français plans several events during the month of Ramadan, such as Andalusian music or jazz concerts, plays, poetry readings, symposiums, exhibits, films, etc., that take place in different venues in the city. During Ramadan, the opening hours of some of the shops, restaurants, museums and administrations change slightly, while evenings are more lively than usual. Show respect by avoiding eating or smoking in public during the day. The dates of Ramadan follow a lunar calendar.