Visiting the Tangier Kasbah Museum is one of the most interesting things to do if you’re going to spend several days in the city, for example at the start or end of your tour. In this post we tell you where it is, what the building is like, and what collection is on display in its rooms.
The kasbah and its palace
First of all, it’s worth clarifying what is meant by “kasbah” in Tangier: it’s not just a military fortification dating back to the 10th century, but an entire neighborhood built within the walls, so it’s closer to the concept of an alcazaba, located in the highest part of the city. From here, you get privileged views of the Strait of Gibraltar (which separates Morocco from Andalusia), the city’s port, and the medina, with several viewpoints to choose from.
And at the heart of the kasbah is the Dar el Makhzen Palace, often translated as the Royal Palace or the Governor’s Palace: it was the residence of Pasha Ahmed Ben Ali Rifi, who was in charge of the city in the time of Sultan Moulay Ismail (18th century). This historic building was restored years ago for its new role as a museum, as we’ll see below, but its architecture is an attraction in its own right.
Its whitewashed exterior is in keeping with the medina’s style, but it hides an exceptionally rich and surprising interior. In its different rooms, which used to be the pasha’s bedrooms and reception halls, you can admire muqarnas domes, wooden coffered ceilings, zellige tilework, and masterful plasterwork, although the original furniture has not been preserved (with a few exceptions).
It also has three open-air spaces full of character: two columned courtyards with a central fountain and an Andalusian garden that is a true haven of peace for visitors, just as it once was for the pasha. Its layout in four quadrants and the abundance of aromatic plants, flowers, and fruit trees represent the Garden of Eden on earth, and it marks the final stop on the visit.
What collection it houses
Reading this museum’s official name helps us better understand what’s currently inside: Museum of Mediterranean Cultures. In other words, its rooms display archaeological pieces and information resources about the different civilizations that have inhabited Tangier and its surroundings, and that in turn explored and dominated the rest of the Mediterranean.
In this sense, you’ll find, for example, interesting Roman mosaics, such as the one of Venus, brought from the ancient city of Volubilis, as well as various ancient statues that reflect the dominant artistic taste in Antiquity, before Islamic culture greatly limited the depiction of the human body.
Maps are also very important. In some cases, they are maps informational maps explaining the different trade routes from centuries ago. But without a doubt, the most spectacular and valuable is the map produced by the cartographer Abu Abdullah Al-Sabti Al-Idrisi Al-Maghribi (born in what is now Ceuta) who, in 1154, created a world map for King Roger of Sicily. Without a doubt, a remarkable document that helps us understand what was known about the world at that point in the 12th century.
In addition, there are also handicrafts and other traditional works on display, so the Tangier Kasbah Museum can be considered a combination of an ethnographic museum and an archaeological museum. In this sense, the most iconic piece is the wrought-iron safe that was in the Treasury Room, and that can only be opened by combining several secret movements of its buttons.
