Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
El-Badi's other key attraction is the Koutoubia
minbar
(prayer pulpit), its cedarwood
steps intricately inlaid with marquetry, and gold and silver calligraphy by 12th-century
Cordoban artisans.
To reach the entrance, head through Pl des Ferblantiers and turn right along the ram-
parts.
MARRAKESH MUSEUM FOR PHOTOGRAPHY & VISUAL ARTS (MMP+)
In two years the world's largest
Museum for Photography and Visual Arts
(
www.mmpva.org;
Badi
Palace) will open in Marrakesh. British architect David Chipperfield has been commissioned to com-
plete the build, which will open near the Menara Gardens in 2016. Until then, a section of the Badi
Palace has been restored as a gallery space and the dynamic Kamal Laftimi (the entrepreneur behind
Terrasse des Epices and Le Jardin) has been put in charge of creating the site's cafe-bookstore.
The museum is part of an ambitious plan to fashion Marrakesh into a North African cultural hub,
building on the success of its Biennale and International Film Festival, much as Venice did in the early
20th century. Interestingly, the two cities share a lot in common. Both are historic trading depots bene-
fiting from centuries of cross-cultural influence; both inhabit a strange mid-ground between medieval
city and modern metropolis; and both retain a dynamic artistic and artisanal community.
It is the latter that the 6000-sq-metre museum is focused on promoting through a permanent collec-
tion of lens-based contemporary art and revolving exhibitions related to architecture, design, fashion
and culture. Even the museum's new location is significant. Sited beside the 12th-century Menara
Gardens, the architecturally distinct sandstone cube aims to form a temporal link between the historic-
al output of the medina and 21st-century art practices, with the emphasis firmly on Moroccan and
North African talent.
With a theatre, bookshop and extensive educational facilities, David Knaus, the museum's director,
hopes the space will be transformative rather than static, attracting students, scholars, designers and
artists from around the world. 'With a rich program of exhibitions, education and cultural exchange,
the museum will be the first such institution on the African continent', he proudly points out.
Ville Nouvelle
If the medina starts to wear down your nerves and shoe leather, escape to Guéliz for art
galleries around Rue Yougoslavie, fixed-price boutiques along Rue de la Liberté, and per-
ennially fashion-forward Jardin Majorelle.
Count on a 30-minute walk from downtown ville nouvelle to Djemaa el-Fna. Since the
blocks are long and boring until you enter the medina, you might take a bus or taxi.
