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TANGIER - THE MUSEUM OF MOROCCAN ARTS

The imposing silhouette of the Dar el Makhzen dominates the Tangier kasbah.

Formerly the governor's palace, it was built in the 17th century and is laid out around a splendid patio decorated with enamelled faience. The Museum of Moroccan Arts is housed in the prince's apartments which are indeed princely: painted wooden ceilings, sculpted plaster work and mosaics, all of them exquisite. A worthy setting for works of art from all over Morocco, which are honoured as prestigious ambassadors of their regions.

The north is represented by firearms decorated with marquetry and its pottery bearing subtle motifs of flowers or feathers, while from Rabat come the shimmering carpets with their characteristic central medallion. The Fez room is quite dazzling: silks with their subtly shifting highlights, superbly bound illuminated manuscripts with the finest calligraphy, centuries-old dishes decorated in the most brilliant colours, from golden yellow right through the famous "Fez blue".

From the miniscule to the monumental, the Moroccan Museum of Arts is an entire universe of beauty.
 

LOCATION

Dar el Makhzen,
Place de la Kasbah
Tangier
Tel. (212 9) 93 20 97