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Post #2 about our trip to Morocco! You probably already read about our amazing hotel, so let's move on to what we did on our trip! Today I'm sharing the photos I took at Musée De Marrakech. Yep, that's French! Moroccans use French in addition to Arabic. I actually used what little French I know more often on this trip than when I went to France! Not because my skills are any better (au contraire!) but because lots of Moroccans don't speak English. My most-used phrases were "Je ne comprends pas" and "Je parle un peu de français," but it was still kind of helpful! ;)
Anyhow, the Marrakesh Museum seemed like an obvious must-do. We didn't spend tons of time there, but it was a major feast for the eyes, so I took a lot of pictures. (Big surprise, I know.) The museum is located right in the heart of the medina, beyond this unassuming entrance.
It didn't take me long to start ogling all the amazing tile work. I could have stared at these colors and shapes all day. And the thought that these intricate patterns were designed in the 1800s (without computers) is pretty mind-blowing, right? (P.S. Sorry, podophobes, but with gorgeous floors at every turn, there was no way around taking a million pictures of my own feet. ;))
Musée de Marrakech is not just a museum--it's a palace! In fact, the palace itself is really the main attraction. The Mehdi Mnebhi palace was home to a defense minister for a while before becoming a girls' school. It's only been a museum since 1997. This massive room used to be a courtyard but now has a roof on it to preserve its beauty. I thought it was funny that my Lonely Planet guide warned me about the yellowish color cast and urged me to figure out to adjust white balance in my photos (check!).
The archways leading into the interior of the palace rooms were adorned with the most gorgeous wood carvings--surpassed only by the incredible ceilings on the other side! There was a lot of neck-craning going on for sure.
The colorful paintings on display in the museum were lovely, but I was even more obsessed with the hand-painted doors and that fabulous light fixture. Pretty sure I need one of those for my new house. ;)
One more leisurely stroll back through the courtyard room...
We headed just around the bend to another beautiful and historic spot right after this, but it'll have its own post. Sign up below to stay in touch. :)