Dar Batha Museum

What it is

Dar Batha is a palace of the late 19th century, at the gates of the medina, which is now the Al Batha Museum of Islamic Arts. It was begun by the sultan Hassan I (1873–1894) and finished and decorated by his successor, Moulay Abdelaziz (1894–1908). In 1915 it became a museum of local arts, and for a century it was the ethnographic museum of Fez. In 2019 a thorough restoration began and it reopened on 26 February 2025 with a new museum devoted to the arts of Islam. It is run by the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco.

What you see

• The permanent collection. It traces the history of Morocco through its dynasties and civilisations, from the pre-Islamic era to the modern. There are Quranic manuscripts, carpets and textiles, ceramics and metalwork, and a small selection of contemporary Islamic art.
• The palace. Courtyards, rooms with cedar ceilings, zellige and stucco: the building is as much a part of the visit as the display cases.
• The garden. It takes up more than half the grounds. It is an Andalusian garden of rectangular plan, divided in four by two paths with a fountain in the centre, laid out by the landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier in 1915. It has palms, jacarandas, hibiscus and a large holm oak in the centre. There is shade and benches, and concerts are held here.
• Pieces from other monuments. The museum's collections have housed, among others, the original bronze doors of the Al-Attarine madrasa and marble gravestones from the Marinid tombs. Ask at the entrance what is on display now.

Hours and price

It opens from 10:00 to 18:00 and is closed on Tuesdays. Entry costs 60 DH for foreigners, 30 DH for Moroccans and 15 DH for children. Tickets can be bought on the National Foundation of Museums website or at the ticket office. Allow an hour, a little more if you sit in the garden.

Getting there

It is on Place Batha, in the Oued Fejjaline district, a few minutes' walk from Bab Boujloud. By petit taxi, ask for "Batha": taxis reach the square.

With children and accessibility

It is a good stop with children mid-morning or at midday, when the medina overwhelms: the garden gives shade and room to move. Ask at the ticket office about wheelchair access to the rooms and the garden.

When to go

At the start or end of a medina day, or in the hot hours. Bear in mind it opens at 10:00, later than the madrasas: if you want to start early, go first to the Bou Inania madrasa and leave the museum for later. Remember it is closed on Tuesday.

Nearby

In the Batha and Ziat area you have large, quiet riads, such as Riad Fes and Palais Faraj. For lunch, Café Clock and NUR, next to Bab Boujloud.