The 12 Best Museums in Marrakech

The Museum of Marrakech is housed within one of the city’s former palaces. The grand building was the private residence of the country’s defence minister before the colonial era. It was later used as a school for girls before being carefully restored and opened as a museum. The lavish Andalusian-style inner courtyard is a highlight, with carved cedar wood, colourful tiles, stained-glass windows, ornamental pillars, a large chandelier, and painted doorways. Visitors can also see the less opulent hammam and kitchen. An array of artwork and artefacts can be found in the various rooms, with pieces from the present time as well as the past. Collections include pottery, calligraphy, old gravestones, coins, paintings, clothing, and historic documents. The museum covers archeaology, ethnography, history, and art. Admission is 70 Moroccan dirhams (US$7).

Housed in two conjoined riads, the Tiskiwin Museum showcases items from Morocco’s trading past. Take a journey along the ancient trading route between Marrakech and Timbuktu, via the Sahara, with different rooms dedicated to various communities and trading posts along the way. With a strong emphasis on Berber life, items include shelters, rugs, clothing, homewares, artworks, statues, jewellery, and basketwork. It’s a great place to gain further insights into Moroccan sub cultures and those of nearby lands. Entrance costs 20 Moroccan dirhams (US$2).

Within the beautiful Majorelle Garden, the Berber Museum is dedicated to teaching visitors more about the Berber heritage and culture. There are three sections in the museum. One is related to knowledge, showing in particular how Berber communities make various practical and ceremonial items from raw materials. Leather goods, baskets, and pottery are among the collections. Another section showcases fine jewels, and the third part of the museum focuses on artistic expression, with items that include clothing, weaponry, jewellery, woven items, and ornamental wood carvings. The bright blue building that contains the museum was once used as a painting studio. Admission to the museum costs 30 Moroccan dirhams (US$3), though visitors will also need to pay 70 Moroccan dirhams (US$7) for entry to the Majorelle Garden.

Just around the corner from the Majorelle Gardens is a museum dedicated to the man who saved it from the bulldozers, Algerian-born French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. The museum is a homage to “YSL”, as he is known, who bought and restored the garden, spending much of his time in the city, along with his partner Pierre Bergé. As a fashion designer, YSL was famed for his combination of comfort and elegance in womenswear, a look that quickly became popular among Europe’s jet set, and a particular favourite with movie star Catherine Deneuve. The museum is housed in a brand-new, specially constructed building with a textured brickwork exterior. It kicks off with a starter exhibition of photographs and artworks before plunging into the main course of fashion design. The main exhibition space features prototypes from some of YSL’s most famous creations. There is also a film about Saint Laurent and his work, as well as temporary exhibitions, a library, bookshop and café. Most visitors combine a visit with the neighbouring Majorelle Gardens. Recommended by Daniel Jacobs.

The exhibitions at the Musée des Confluences are usually very interesting, but the star of the show is the building itself. The museum’s rather vague title (“Museum of Convergences”) reflects the fact that it doesn’t actually have a specific theme or even a permanent collection, but houses a succession of temporary displays on different subjects. Past exhibitions have included the shared culture of the Abrahamic religions and the magnificence of Marrakech’s palaces. Indeed, of those palaces, this very building is among the most magnificent of all. It was built in the 1920s for the despotic Thami el Glaoui, who was Pasha of Marrakech during the colonial period, and no expense was spared in its construction. Glaoui threw lavish parties here, attended by the likes of Winston Churchill, and the beautiful tile work, stucco and carved cedarwood is among the finest in all Morocco. Not all of the palace is within the museum – part of it houses the local HQ of one of Morocco’s big labor unions – but regardless of what’s on, the museum is well worth a visit just to experience the magnificence of Glaoui’s wonderful palace. Recommended by Daniel Jacobs.

Experience the life of a wealthy Marrakshi from times gone by at Dar Si Said. A previous palace, the magnificent building in itself is a worthy museum piece that displays the finest craftsmanship from across Morocco. Marvel at the tilework and carvings that cover the floors, ceilings, walls, and doors, admire the inner courtyard with an ornamental fountain, stand on the exquisite balconies, and peek inside the various grand rooms. Items on display show Moroccan life and traditions from the 19th century. Exhibits include rugs, musical instruments, jewellery, kaftans, weapons, leather goods, and pottery. Admission costs 30 Moroccan dirhams (US$3).

Mouassine Museum is a great example of a traditional Moroccan home from the Saadi dynasty. Restorations are still ongoing, with master artisans helping to show the building as it would have been in its heyday. The small douria, once used as a guest apartment, is considered one of the city’s finest examples of traditional Saadi designs. It houses collections of Berber rugs and photography, and provides details about Gnaoua music and traditions. The admission charge is 60 Moroccan dirhams (US$6).

Opened as a joint collaboration between a Marrakshi and Parisien, Maison de la Photographie houses many old photographs that show snapshots of Morocco and Moroccan life from the 1870s through to the 1960s. There are also original glass negatives collected from the High Atlas regions, old documents, magazines, and postcards. Visitors can watch a rare colour documentary filmed in Morocco in the late 1950s too. The entrance fee is 60 Moroccan dirhams (US$6).

The Museum of the Palmery is a living museum that combines nature and art. Stroll through the cactus garden, the Andalusian Garden with its many orange trees, and the tranquil Water Garden. Within the serene walled garden complex there is also an art museum, filled with modern Moroccan works. Admission is 40 Moroccan dirhams (US$4).

Located within Centre Culturel Atlas Golf, Observatoire Astronomie is a top spot for fans of stargazing and astronomy. The equipment contains the largest telescope in Morocco, with observation sessions held each Friday evening. Learn more about the universe and how the viewing apparatus works. Observation sessions cost 160 Moroccan dirhams (US$16) per person. Found within the historic heart of Marrakech’s medina, the newer colonial-era area of Gueliz, the lush village of Palmeraie, and in other parts of the large city, Marrakech’s diverse museums are sure to please.

The Riad Kniza Collection is a museum of beautiful pieces of art, jewellery and costume, collected over many years by Haj Mohamed Bouskri, one of Marrakech’s most renowned antique dealers. Haj Mohamed runs the Riad Kniza, a five-star riad located directly opposite the museum. As a tour guide to the rich and famous, he’s shown US Presidents and Hollywood film stars around town, among others. He also ran the city’s top antique store, which he closed to set up his riad. But having done that, he has now created this museum to display the cream of his collection. Brassware, glassware, garments, jewels and weaponry are all magnificently displayed, and the collection of 18th- and 19th-century ceramics from Fez is wonderful. Entry is free, as the museum is supported by its own in-house antique shop. Recommended by Daniel Jacobs.

The Musée Mohammed VI pour la Civilisation de l’Eau (Mohammed VI Water Museum), named in honour of Morocco’s king, is dedicated to the science and beauty of hydrology. Located out of town in the Palmeraie (oasis palm grove), the museum is large, modern and still largely undiscovered. It is, however, well worth the effort of getting to. Child-friendly, with lots of touch screens, interactive presentations and video displays, the museum illustrates the history of hydraulic engineering in Morocco from the Middle Ages to the present. Indeed, it is a little-known fact that Morocco pioneered irrigation techniques, using water channels from the High Atlas mountains to bring water to all of the city’s ancient orchards, including the Menara and Agdal gardens. There are exhibits on the properties of water, on the hydraulic history of Marrakech and Fez, on the spirituality of water and the rituals associated with it, and on the system of dams built under the reign of the present king’s father, Hassan II. Recommended by Daniel Jacobs.