Museum of Marrakech

Maybe the rumours are true of a curse on the Mnebhi Palace, now home to Musée de Marrakech. Its low walls and light-filled inner courtyard left no place to hide for Mehdi Mnebhi, defence minister during Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz’s troubled 1894–1908 reign. While Minister Mnebhi was away receiving a medal from Queen Victoria, sneaky England conspired with France and Spain to colonise North Africa. In Mnebhi’s absence, autocrat Pasha Glaoui filched his palace – but after independence, it was seized by the state. The palace became Marrakesh’s first girls’ school in 1965, but upkeep proved a problem.

The palace’s fortunes turned around in 1997 with restoration by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation. Traditional arts displays include Rabati embroidery, inlaid daggers and Fassi pottery, plus displays of historic photos in the original hammam and variable contemporary art in the former kitchen. Outside, there’s a courtyard cafe serving powerful espresso, and a small bookshop.