Marrakech Museum facts for kids
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Main courtyard of the Marrakech Museum
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| Established | 1997 |
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| Location | Marrakesh, Morocco |
| Type | art museum |
| Key holdings | numismatics, ceramics |
| Collections | Moorish art |
The Marrakech Museum is a cool old palace and museum in the heart of Marrakesh, Morocco. It's famous for its amazing Moroccan style. The museum also shows off many historic art objects and contemporary art pieces from Morocco.
Contents
History of the Museum
The museum is inside a building called the Dar Mnebhi Palace. A powerful leader named Mehdi al-Mnebhi built it around the year 1900. He was a qaid, which means a local chief, and also a top minister for the Sultan of Morocco.
From Palace to School
After Mehdi al-Mnebhi left Morocco to be an ambassador, another powerful family took over his palace. Later, when Morocco became independent in 1956, the government took control of the palace. In 1965, it became a girls' school.
Becoming a Museum
For a while, the palace was not well cared for. But then, a group called the Omar Benjelloun Foundation stepped in. They carefully fixed up the palace. In 1997, they opened it as the Marrakech Museum, which is what it is today!
Palace Architecture
The palace is a great example of Moroccan building style from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many rich families built grand palaces like this back then.
The Grand Courtyard
The palace has a huge central courtyard. It used to be an open garden with trees. Now, it's covered with a roof and paved. The courtyard has several fountains. It is surrounded by covered walkways and wall fountains. Everything is decorated with colorful zellij tilework. There is also beautiful painted and carved cedar wood.
Special Features
Today, a giant chandelier hangs in the middle of the courtyard. It's made of brass pieces cut into cool geometric shapes. Many rooms branch off the courtyard. These rooms have fancy wood and stucco decorations. The palace also had roof terraces with a menzeh, which is a small pavilion. From here, people could see amazing views of the city. It also had kitchens and a hammam, which is a traditional bathhouse. The hammam has cool domed and arched rooms.
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The entrance courtyard of the museum
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The main interior courtyard of the palace/museum
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An ornate wall fountain in the main courtyard, with painted wood and zellij decoration
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A large brass chandelier over the middle of the courtyard
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One of the exhibition rooms off the courtyard, with a painted wood ceiling and stucco and zellij wall decoration
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A domed ceiling in the hammam section of the palace
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Museum Collection
The museum has a wide variety of traditional art. These pieces come from different parts of Morocco and from different groups of people.
What You Can See
You can see things like old weapons, beautiful carpets, and traditional costumes. There is also pottery from Fez and Berber jewelry. The museum even has special objects used by Moroccan Jews.
Modern Art and Events
The museum also features exhibits of modern art. These are often found in the old kitchen and hammam areas. Sometimes, the museum hosts fun cultural events. These can include theater shows and concerts.
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A 19th-century saddle on display in the museum
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A 19th-century kummiya (dagger)
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Berber jewelry from the 20th century
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Jewish religious objects on display
Other Places to Explore
- Dar Si Said (another art and crafts museum in Marrakesh)
- Bahia Palace (a big palace in Marrakesh with similar architecture)
- Dar Batha (a similar museum in Fes)
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Marrakech para niños
