One of Morocco’s cultural gems, the old imperial city of Marrakech is known for its vibrant and extensive souks, historic architecture, bustling medina, and frenetic energy of the large main square of Djemaa el Fna.
There are plenty of places where you can learn more about the city’s history, heritage, people, and culture, with an assortment of museums to suit diverse interests.
Art lovers will also be satisfied with Marrakech’s thriving arts scene, with varied art galleries displaying fascinating, and frequently intriguing works.
Add more to your Marrakech vacation and visit some of these museums and art galleries while exploring the Red City:
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Museum of Marrakech
The interesting Museum if Marrakech is located inside a beautiful former palace that was once the private home of the country’s defense minister.
Built in an Andalusian style, the building boasts vibrant tile work, colorful stained glass, carved woodwork, and more.
As well as admiring the building and its grounds, visitors can view an array of artifacts that tell more about life in Morocco through the ages.
Items include traditional clothing and jewelry, carpets, coins, artwork, pottery, archeological finds, and calligraphy.
Dar Si Said
Dar Si Said is another grand building in Marrakech that now houses a museum. Once home to an affluent local, the former palace as constructed to a high standard and embellished with fine traditional craftwork.
Most surfaces feature some kind of decoration, from colorful tile work and carved wood to decorative plaster work and glass work.
Imagine life in the past as you wander through the opulent rooms, and admire pieces such as carpets, clothes, jewellery, musical instruments, pottery, and weaponry.
Berber Museum
Located inside the popular Majorelle Gardens, the Berber Museum educated visitors about Berber traditions and culture.
Arranged over three distinct sections, the museum seeks to showcase the knowledge and traditional day-to-day practices of Berber people, artistic talents, and tribal jewelry.
Collections include leather work, pottery, woodwork, clothing, and weapons.
Yves St Laurent Museum
A fairly new museum in Marrakech, with a sister museum in Paris, the Yves St Laurent Museum shows the special connection between the late fashion designer and the Moroccan city of Marrakech.
Visitors can learn more about Yves St Laurent’s personal life and career, with significant events from throughout his life highlighted.
There are pictures and paintings as well, as one would expect, garments, accessories, and designs.
There’s an extensive library onsite too, along with a bookshop, and the magnificent building is sure to impress. The museum is a brilliant tribute to one of the fashion world’s most famous names.
Tiskiwin Museum
Take an insightful journey through Morocco’s past trading days at the Tiskiwin Museum. Diverse collections are spread through two attached traditional rids, detailing trading life and locations from times gone by.
Devoted to highlighting communities that lived along the Saharan trading route, artefacts come from the entire Saharan region, not only from Morocco.
There’s a particularly strong focus on the once-nomadic Berber people, with examples of shelters used by people as they traversed the lands, home items, clothes, carpets, and art.
Museum of the Palmery
A beautiful blend of art and nature, the Museum of the Palmery has several stunning gardens and numerous pieces of art.
The Andalusian garden, filled with lots of citrus trees, is attractive.
The water garden is a great place for contemplation, with the soft tinkling sounds of water drifting through the air. Another garden at the large museum is the cactus garden. The art museum contains many modern pieces, created by national artists.
Maison de la Photographie
A must-visit for fans of photography, the Maison de la Photographie shows life in Morocco in the past through a series of old photographs.
Travel back in time, through photography, to the 1870s and take a visual journey up to the 1960s. In addition to the fascinating imagery visitors can also see rare and unusual glass negatives.
The museum also houses historic documents, postcards, magazines, and periodicals.
Musee Boucharouite
The small Musee Boucharouite specialises in traditional Moroccan rugs and carpets, with a particular focus on items handmade in the country’s Berber communities.
Showcasing the skills and techniques that have been passed down through the generations in remote communities, the museum is great for people interested in learning more about Moroccan crafts.
Perfume Museum
Surrounded by local homes in the medina, the small Perfume Museum informs visitors about the history of perfume making and use, both in Morocco and in a wider global context.
Discovering symbolic reasons for perfume is pretty interesting, with some uses perhaps somewhat surprising. The museum is small but diverse. Visitors can also have a go at creating their own signature scents if they wish.
Museum Mohammed VI of the Civilization of Water in Morocco
Located close to the Palmeraie, the Museum Mohammed VI of the Civilization of Water in Morocco is a new museum in Marrakech, having opened in 2017. Teaching visitors about the importance of water in Morocco through the ages, it brings something different to the city’s museum scene.
Dar Bellarj
Located in the heart of the historic medina, Dar Bellarj seeks to conserve and display diverse aspects of Moroccan culture.
There are regular exhibitions and concerts, as well as various interactive workshops.
Themed exhibitions are held each year, highlighting particular cultural genres and displaying culture and traditions through various media types.
Matisse Art Gallery
One of the oldest art galleries in the city, Matisse Art Gallery is a place where young artists from Marrakech can display their works.
Exhibitions change regularly and you’ll find displays by well-known Moroccan artists as well as new and up-and-coming artists.
David Bloch Gallery
One of the country’s premier contemporary art galleries, the David Bloch Gallery displays innovative, inventive, and imaginative works.
Pieces by both Moroccan and international contemporary artists are hosted here, and you will notice several types of artistic expression and media.
There are paintings in diverse styles, statues and sculptures, graffiti, sketches, calligraphy, and more.
Galerie 127
One of just a few photo galleries in Africa, Gallerie 127 made waves when it opened in 2006.
The stark white walls in a converted apartment are adorned with modern travel photography from all four corners of the globe.
The striking images were captured by photographers from various countries. People, landscapes, and buildings are among the photographic subjects.
Al Maaden Museum of African Contemporary Art
Surrounded by desert-like sands, Al Maaden Museum of African Contemporary Art is home to an exquisite collection of modern art from across Africa. With paintings and sculptures, it is sure to appeal to different artistic tastes.
Galerie Re
Galerie Re is another of Marrakech’s contemporary art galleries. Displays are regularly changed and you can discover interesting pieces by artists from Morocco and abroad.
Paintings, photographs, and sculptures are among the works displayed here.
6.4 Gallery
Displaying interesting, thought-provoking, and more unusual and unorthodox artistic creations, 6.4 Gallery aims to bring something fresh to Marrakech’s art scene.
The gallery tries to build links between the art and the viewers, and to stimulate debates and discussions.
Ke’ch Collective
A collaboration between Moroccan and Swiss artists, the Ke’ch Collective was founded to allow cross-cultural artistic exchanges and show diversity in art. Visual and performing arts are represented.
Visitors can see both similarities and differences between art from the two countries and also see how the different cultures can influence each other’s art.
Wonderfully diverse and with plenty of options, museum lovers and art enthusiasts certainly will not find Marrakech lacking.