Dar Si Said Museum, Marrakech: the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Dar Si Said Museum occupies the palace built between 1894 and 1900 by Si Said ben Moussa, war minister to Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz and brother of the grand vizier Ba Ahmed, a few minutes from the Bahia Palace. A museum since the 1930s, it became the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets in 2018, run by the Fondation nationale des musées: urban and rural carpets from every region of Morocco, textiles, jewellery and woodwork. Damaged by the September 2023 earthquake, it is closed for major restoration work. The Foundation announced that the work would be completed in 2026, but the reopening had not been confirmed when we checked in October 2026.

Highlights

The courtyard and its fountain

The palace is arranged around zellige-paved courtyards with fountains and carved wooden doors. Its layout recalls that of the nearby Bahia, but on several levels, with a large reception hall upstairs.

Carpets in the salons

The carpets are displayed in the palace's former salons, between zellige walls, stucco arches and painted wooden doors. The original decoration is as much a part of the visit as the collections.

The cedar ceilings

The salons have kept their carved and painted cedar ceilings, including a dome with radiating panels. They show the skill of Marrakech craftsmen at the end of the 19th century.

The garden and its pavilion

In the centre of the large riad, a painted wooden pavilion stands in a garden planted with trees. It was the household's place to relax, sheltered from the noise of the medina.

Infos pratiques

Tips

The museum has been closed for works since the 2023 earthquake and no reopening date has been announced: check on site or with the Fondation nationale des musées before you go. The Foundation's price list gives admission at 30 MAD for an adult and 10 MAD for a child over 12 (prices checked in October 2026), with closure on Mondays in normal times. If a passer-by tells you the museum is open "through another entrance", decline: check for yourself at the door. Nearby, the Bahia Palace remains open every day.

How to get there

Address: Derb Si Said, Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jdid, medina On foot from Jemaa el-Fna square: about 10 minutes along Rue Riad Zitoun el-Jdid On foot from the Bahia Palace: about 5 minutes