Why Marrakech is a city of museums
Beyond the souks and the chaos of Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech has an incredible cultural offering. Small museums in restored palaces and riads, private galleries and exceptional collections of Islamic art, photography and contemporary design.
1. Musée Yves Saint Laurent
The temple of the French designer who fell in love with Marrakech in the 1960s and bought the Majorelle Gardens. A Studio KO building in stone and terracotta, iconic dresses in the permanent exhibition and temporary shows (photography, jewellery, painting). Combine the visit with the Majorelle Gardens and the Oasiba villa.
📍 Rue Yves Saint Laurent · Entry 130 dh
2. Bahia Palace
More palace than museum, but essential. Built in the late 19th century by the grand vizier Ba Ahmed. 8,000 m² of courtyards, salons with carved cedar ceilings, fountains and zellige. Its name, "the favourite", honours one of the vizier's wives. It's the best-preserved palace in the city.
📍 5 Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid · Entry 70 dh
3. Ben Youssef Madrasa
A former 14th-century Quranic school, one of the largest in the Maghreb. Its central courtyard, with a rectangular pool and spectacular zellige, is one of the most photographed places in Morocco. It reopened in 2022 after 4 years of restoration. A must.
📍 Ben Youssef Square · Entry 50 dh
4. Mouassine Museum
A restored 16th-century family riad. Small but beautifully curated: it showcases the craft of traditional Moroccan decoration (zellige, tadelakt, carved cedar wood). Andalusian music concerts on Thursday evenings.
📍 Derb el Hammam Mouassine · Entry 60 dh
5. Dar Si Said (National Museum of Weaving and Carpets)
A former palace of Ba Ahmed's brother. After a full restoration, it houses the best collection of Berber carpets in Morocco. Essential if you love tapestries, kilims and textile craftsmanship. The building alone is worth the visit.
📍 Derb Si Said · Entry 70 dh
6. Maison de la Photographie
A riad converted into a museum of Moroccan photography. 10,000 images from 1870 to the 1960s: Berber portraits, scenes of Marrakech, Atlas landscapes. One of the loveliest terraces in the medina, with a café-restaurant at the top.
📍 46 Rue Bin Lafnadek · Entry 50 dh
7. Musée Tiskiwin (Bert Flint)
A small private ethnographic museum founded by the Dutchman Bert Flint. A single collection, but an exceptional one: ritual objects and craftwork from the Saharan caravan routes, from Marrakech to Timbuktu. It transports you to another era.
📍 8 Rue de la Bahia · Entry 20 dh
8. MACMA · Musée d'Art et de Culture de Marrakech
The newest museum (2016) in a restored colonial house. A collection of Orientalist photography (Daoud Aoulad-Syad, the Frenchman Antonio Tabet), Moroccan contemporary art and Berber antiquities. Good temporary exhibitions.
📍 Place Bab Doukkala · Entry 60 dh
9. Saadian Tombs
The mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed al-Mansur (16th century) and his family. Rediscovered in 1917 — the Alaouites had walled them up so no one could desecrate them. Carrara marble, gold, jade columns. Tiny but breathtaking. Arrive early, it gets crowded.
📍 Rue de la Kasbah · Entry 70 dh
Practical tips
- Best itinerary: split the museums across 2 days so you don't get overwhelmed. Day 1: palaces (Bahia + Dar Si Said + Saadian Tombs). Day 2: contemporary culture (YSL + Majorelle + MACMA + Maison de la Photographie).
- Opening hours: most open 9:00-17:00. Some close at midday (12:30-14:30) for Friday prayers.
- Combined pass: ask at the private museums — some sell discounted combined tickets.
- Guide: if your time is limited, an official guide opens your eyes to details you'd otherwise miss (50€/half day). On any of our tours we include a guided visit to the main ones.
