The old kitchen area (douiria) has been transformed and now houses various permanent displays of jewellery, Arabic calligraphy (including several early Korans) and also more temporary, contemporary Moroccan art and sculpture. (Regrettably, the sign-posting is almost exclusively in Arabic, with some paintings titled in French). You can wander at will, rest awhile in the comfy chairs scattered around the quite spectacular main inner courtyard, whose tiled floor and columns and ornately carved niches are at once restful and exciting, or visit the old palace hamman (now also used for exhibiting paintings and sculpture), which is marked up for the various old changing rooms, cold room/warm room/hot room/resting and massage room.

When finally you’re done, there’s a bookshop selling guidebooks, keyfobs, etc. and postcards, and café outside in a picturesque court-yard, which was originally the stables area (though it’s fairly pricy by Marrakech standards at 16dh for a coffee). There are also young and up-coming local artists exhibited here. Guided tours are available if you ask when you buy your tickets.

Open until 6pm each day. Tickets 30dh. More details at musee.de.marrakech@iam.net.ma

In a sense, the palace itself is the main art object on display. The lovingly restored interiors are colorful, but the lighting is low and muted. Still, the rooms display various examples of jewelry, locally produced zellij tiles, historic earthenware, and other colorful items. Other rooms are used as exhibition spaces of contemporary modern art, at least as modern as can be freely exhibited in Muslim Morocco. There is a traditional hammam that you can walk through. The hammam is basically a traditional Moroccan bathhouse, including luxurious resting areas. Portions of the hammam in the museum have been converted to art display space. The douiria, the former kitchen of the palace, is also used as exhibition space for contemporary art.

There is a pleasant roof deck with some decent views of the surrounding area. Relax at the cafe in the entrance courtyard with a steaming pot of mint tea or a soft drink. The museum store has a decent selection of art books, souvenirs and postcards.

The admission fee (as of November 2002) is a fairly stiff 30 dirham. It is about 3 US dollars, whereas fees at most Moroccan sites seem to be 10 or 20 dirham. Take a free brochure before you enter the museum (in English!). If you want a bit of peace and quiet while enjoying a pleasant educational and aesthetic experience, a visit to the Museum of Marrakesh may be just your ticket.