The Ethnographic Museum

The former fortress of the sultan Moulay Abderrahman transformed into a museum in 1948, the museum has an amazing collection of Moroccan furniture, folkloric costume and jewellery.

The museum is composed of a garden, whose shape recalls the traditional palaces and houses with a pool in the middle, a covered walled fountain of zellige, and a terrace on which several canons from a Portuguese origin.

Collections

Through the collections, the ethnographic museum of Tetouan illustrates some cultural and ethnographic aspects of the city and its surroundings, throughout two principle themes: public life and private life.

The first space is mainly devoted to the different socio­-educational and religious activities that take place in the public space (mosques, zawiyah, handmade space...) whereas the second space illustrates the different practices that take place within the house, the intimate space of the woman and the family.

At the ground floor, the visitors can discover the traditional handmade production of Tetouan and its region, one of the most important on the national scale. The traditional handmade production used to cover several specialities that were imported from Andalusia with the arrival of the Moorish starting from the 15th century or known in the region for a long time such as the work of leather, painted wood, spun, pottery and ceramic.

Upstairs, the visitors enter to the private space of the woman, which is an absolutely fascinating section.

This space bespeaks of the different evolution phases of the life of the woman since birth passing by the first customs that aim at facilitating her integration of the socio­cultural life, to finally finish with the phase where she begins another life within her marital new house.

The Tetouani embroidery, in the heart of this space, is one of the most original embroideries of Morocco.

Another hall to discover, the one which is typically of the city of Tetouan, where the wedding ceremony takes place, animated by an exclusively feminine orchestra.

The hall is furnished with the nuptial bed, on the top of which seven pillows orned with silk, an emblematic decoration to recall the seven days of wedding (or honeymoon).

The walls are covered with an ornate fabric "Hayati" and the mirrors are adorned with the decorated 'Tenchifa'. In the corner of the hall, two beautiful wooden painted chests proudly expose the trousseau of the bride. A true jewel to be absolutely discovered.

The ethnographic Museum's collection comprises a variety of pieces as Zellij panel from Tetouan and the North region of Morocco are known for the art of zellij.

Here visitors may admire different local arts as the Rif pottery, leather crafting and local cuisine, it is also a good opportunity to learn more about local customs as the 'Shedda' which is a celebration where young girls are dressed as little bride.