Musée la Kasbah des cultures méditerranéennes

## A palace reflecting Tangier's changing history The Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures occupies the former Sultan's Palace, Dar El Makhzen, in the eastern section of Tangier's Kasbah. The site has been shaped by successive historical periods, including Portuguese administration, the English presence and later Moroccan rule after 1684. The present palace is associated with Ahmed Ben Ali Errifi and was altered under Alaouite rulers. An inscription within its architectural decoration refers to the years 1737–1738. ## Palace architecture The building is organised around courtyards, gardens and rooms separating ceremonial and private spaces. Moroccan zellige tilework, carved or painted wood and sculpted plaster are combined with selected European-influenced marble columns and capitals. The palace itself is an important part of the museum visit, documenting the social and political functions of a seat of power. ## Archaeology and ethnography of the Mediterranean A chronological and thematic exhibition route presents archaeological and ethnographic objects connected to Tangier and the wider northern Moroccan region. The displays address movement between Mediterranean societies, craft practices, material culture and contacts across coastal cities. The exhibition is arranged in sections that follow the palace's spatial sequence. ## Visiting the two Kasbah museums This museum is distinct from [the Kasbah Museum – Contemporary Art Space](/en/institutions/musee-kasbah-art-contemporain-tanger), housed in the former prison nearby. Address: Place de la Kasbah, Tangier. The museum authority gives opening hours of 10 am to 6 pm, closed Tuesday. Also see [Villa Harris – Tangier Museum](/en/institutions/villa-harris-musee-de-tanger). ### Sources and image credit Institutional information: [National Foundation of Museums](https://www.fnm.ma/museums/28). Photograph: [Yamen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kasbah_Museum_of_Tangier_17092021_007.jpg), CC BY-SA 4.0 ([licence](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)).