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The former headquarters of Bank Al-Maghrib of Marrakech has entered the catalog of the National Foundation of Museums as the Museum of Intangible Heritage. The museum conversion overlooks the magical Jemaa El Fna Square in Marrakech and was transferred on April 29, 2019, to the National Foundation of Museums by the City Council of Marrakech and the Wilaya (Governor) of the Region.
Under construction since the signing in 2019 with the City Council, The Museum of Intangible Heritage, was inaugurated on February 23, 2023. The event hosted many esteemed figures including the President of the Marrakech-Safi region Samir Goudar, the Wali of the Marrakech-Safi region Karim Kassi Lahlou, and the first Vice-President of the Marrakech City Council Mohamed El Idrissi among others.
This project is the result of a partnership between the National Museums Foundation (FNM), the Wilaya of the Marrakech-Safi Region, the municipality of Marrakech, the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Bank Al-Maghrib and historian Hamid Triki. The project’s main supporters are Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Moroccan Businessman Moulay Hafid Elalamy, and the Noufissa Pharma 5 Foundation, according to the National Museum Foundation (FNM).
The Iconic Building
The grand building that dates back to the colonial era is located in the heart of Jemaa El Fna, (the first site registered on the list of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity in the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2008). Constructed by two well-known architects, Edmond Brion, and Auguste Cadet while the pair lived in Morocco between 1919 and 1935.
This architectural duo produced the most famous Bank Al-Maghrib building located in Casablanca as well as other prestigious buildings of which the former headquarters of Bank Al-Maghrib in Rabat.
After having been unoccupied for many years, the art-deco-style building underwent several heritage conversions. At first, it was the headquarters of Bank Al-Maghrib, then it became a cultural space hosting exhibitions and auctions and now it functions as a museum.
Preserving Heritage
The Museum of Intangible Heritage is a magnificent addition to Marrakech’s museums.
The building houses different exhibits that aim to honor the History of Marrakech and Jemaa El Fna. First of all, there is a numismatic (the study of currencies) exhibition that pays tribute to Bank Al-Maghrib and its staff.
There is an immersive experience composed of visual and audio documents which provide visitors with knowledge through the means of multimedia. Finally, there is an exhibition that aims to allow visitors to discover the history of the square Jemaa Al Fna in the form of artistic work that describes the artistic and historical value of tracing the history of Jemaa El Fna. At this point of the exhibition, there are two paintings by Jacques Majorelle that illustrate the daily scenes of the location, as well as paintings of renowned artists who have marked the Moroccan art scene.
As part of the exhibition, there is a section about the history of the art of Halqa (an ancient Moroccan art form that consists of the art of storytelling). Halqa is commonly performed by masters of the art in Jemaa Al Fna square.
This museum has an important role because it presents the international influence of Marrakech and Morocco while encouraging the importance of safeguarding its ancestral heritage.
What visitors take away from their time at the museum is that it is very important to preserve heritage for present and future generations as it is the guardian of the memory of such sites as Bank Al-Maghrib’s.
