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Morocco to Create Museum of Intangible Heritage in Marrakech
Salim al-Malik, Director-general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) announced plans for the new Marrakech Museum of Intangible Heritage at Jemaa el-Fna Square to promote its the city’s heritage. Malik stated, the new museum comes as part of a cooperation agreement between (ISESCO) and the National Museum Foundation (FNM). This museum is an embodiment of a new vision of the organization which takes an interest in the preservation of heritage of the various Member States. It also supports Morocco’s King Mohammed VI’s efforts to preserve the country’s heritage. The museum will be located at the historic building of Bank al-Maghrib, Morocco’s central bank which faces the vibrant Jemaa el-Fna square. The Marrakech City Hall recently delivered the keys of the building to the (FNM) in a symbolic ceremony marking the start of the project.
“The Museum of Intangible Heritage will offer a welcoming and attractive experience, not only through exhibitions, but also through workshops and a rich and diverse cultural program. It will be emblematic, similar to Jemaa e-Fna square, that hosts it,” claimed FNM President Mehdi Qotbi.
Dr. Abdelaziz El Idrissi, director of the Rabat-based Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art, said the museum will feature part of the collective memory of the prized Jemaa el-Fna Square and the facility will be open to the public. The ICESCO- FNM partnership will create exhibitions that displays collections of pottery, other art-work and traditional costumes from the original works of the late artist, Eugene Delacroix.
UNESCO’s to Showcase “Delacroix: retour au Maroc”,from April 7th-July 24th, 2021 at ICESCO
Within the framework of this agreement, UNESCO’s has organized the exhibition “Delacroix: retour au Maroc”, which will be held from April 7th-July 24th, 2021 at ICESCO’s headquarters. It will include training sessions for Islamic museum staff. The historic headquarters of Bank al-Maghrib in Marrakech will provide an ideal location for the Jemaa el-Fna museum. “This will be one of the most emblematic museums in the city of Marrakech, thanks to its location in the Jemaa El Fna square, which has long nourished the collective memory of Morocco and the artistic personality of Moroccans. The project falls within Morocco’s strategy that places culture at the heart of development,” Qotbi declared. Marrakech’s Mayor Mohamed Larbi Belcaid further shared, the museum will further enhance the image of Marrakech.
The Fondation Fondation Nationale des Musées (FMN) who manages thirteen museums across Morocco will take the lead on this project. It will collaborate with several partners including the Wilaya (Governorate) of Marrakech-Safi, the Marrakech City Hall, Bank al-Maghrib, and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).