Musee Boucharouite – A Museum Dedicated to a Timeless Berber Tradition
If you have a deep-rooted fascination for Berber culture and Berber traditions, and you are yearning to visit a museum with a significant collection of Berber related artifacts, then you will probably want to look beyond Marrakech’s charming Musee Boucharouite, and instead look to places like the Bert Flint Museum or the Heritage Museum.
However, if you would like to learn about the history of a lesser-known Berber tradition or Berber art, then the Musee Boucharouite may be just the sort of place you are looking for.
Recycled Moroccan carpets in Musee Boucharouite, Marrakech.
Morocco has long since been famous for its stunningly beautiful jewel-toned carpets and rugs, and it is hardly surprising given that carpet making in Morocco is a form of art which has been practiced for centuries already.
Today, Moroccan carpets and rugs can be found in homes all over the world, but unbeknown to many of those who adorn their homes with Moroccan carpets, there is another lesser known type of carpet or rug which the Berber tribes have also been making for centuries.
Unable to acquire the expensive materials needed for making typical Moroccan carpets, the rural Berbers turned their attention to recycled cloth, and with it they have been making the most exquisite rag-rugs imaginable; rugs which in the Berber language are called boucharouite.
Typically, each boucharouite is a picture that tells a story, and it is to this timeless art that the Musee Boucharouite has been dedicated to.
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Inside Marrakech’s Musee Boucharouite
Musee Boucharouite, which is the work of a French collector by the name of Patrick de Maillard, opened to the public in 2014. It is located in a traditional 19th century riad called Dardala, and it is still curated by its founder who is extremely passionate about the art of boucharouite making.
Besides a splendid collection of boucharouite carpets, the museum also has an interesting collection of other Berber related items, but it is the carpets which are the real treasure at this museum.
It is interesting to know that each boucharouite carpet or rug is 100% unique, and each tells a story about the woman who made it, or a story about some aspect or some event in her life.
One of the most amazing things you will encounter here is that Patrick is always more than happy to act as your personal guide and to share his knowledge with you.
In fact, he can tell you about the history as well as the meaning of each and every boucharouite piece in his collection.
Le cafe Boucharouite
Musee Boucharouite also has a lovely rooftop terrace area (Le cafe Boucharouite) where you can sit and enjoy some mint tea, along with a variety of other refreshments, and even some lovely Moroccan/Spanish tapas.
We, at Egypt Tours Plus, highly recommend visiting the rooftop terrace at around sunset, at which point you can enjoy breathtaking views of the medina below while you imagine that this beautiful riad is your own private residence.
Musee Boucharouite is located at Azbezt 107, Derb El Cadi, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco. The museum is open daily from 09h30 to 18h00, excluding Sundays. Adults are charged Dh30 (about $8.00) while children are allowed in free of charge.
Explore the Best of Morocco Your Way!
Even though you won’t see Musee Boucharouite featured in all of our Morocco tour packages or our Egypt and Morocco tours, it is worth noting that we can easily amend your preferred Morocco private tour itinerary so that it does include a visit to this charming gem of a museum.
