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The latest attraction in this area is the magnificent Marrakesh Museum on Place Ben Youssef (daily 9am-1pm & 2-6.30pm; 20dh), housed in a late-nineteenth-century palace, Dar Mnebbi . The palace was built for Mehdi Mnebbi, defence minister of Moulay Abdelziz (1894-1908), who later became Moroccan ambassador in London, before returning to live in Tangier, and selling his palace to T'hami El Glaoui, Pasha of Marrakesh. With independence in 1956, the palace was taken over by the state but left in an increasing state of neglect for many years. In 1995, Omar Benjoullan, a patron of the arts, bought and restored the derelict building, and in March 1997 it opened as the Marrakesh Museum. The museum has permanent displays  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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of jewellery, Arabic calligraphy (including several early Korans) and contemporary Moroccan art and sculpture, with works by artists such as Fatima Hassan and Hassan El Glaoui. Above all, it is the restoration itself which is most memorable. In the entrance courtyard, the statue of the Djemaa El Fna waterseller is both quixotic and photogenic, while the inner courtyard now has a glass roof and a grand chandelier hanging above a central fountain. There's also a small cafe and bookshop
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