Dar Batha Museum

Dar Batha is a Hispano-Moorish palace on Place de l'Istiqlal in the Batha district of Fès, Morocco, built in the late 19th century under the Alaouite sultan Hassan I and completed by his successor Moulay Abd al-Aziz. It was used as a guest house for visiting dignitaries and then, in 1915, was converted into a museum of Moroccan arts and crafts, one of the oldest in the country. The building is organised around a courtyard and a large Andalusian garden planted with orange trees, palms and cypress, with fountains and tiled paths. Inside, the rooms present the traditional crafts of Fès in thematic order: the famous blue-and-white Fassi pottery, which is the museum's best-known collection; embroidery and textiles; carved and painted wood, including ceilings and doors; Quranic manuscripts; metalwork; astrolabes and other scientific instruments; and ceramics from different periods. A ground-floor gallery displays an important collection of Fassi blue pottery, while other rooms show carpets from the Middle Atlas and objects from the Marinid and Saadian dynasties. The architecture is also part of the exhibition, with carved cedar ceilings, plaster work and zellige panels in several halls. The museum is organised thematically rather than as a strict chronology, which suits its role as a showcase of craft traditions. It has undergone several rounds of restoration and was closed for renovation at different times, so visitors should check the current status before going. Admission is about 20 MAD, opening hours are typically 9:00 to 17:00, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays. The garden provides a quiet break from the medina, and the building is close to Bab Bou Jeloud, making it a convenient stop at the edge of the old city.