Kasbah Museum (Dar el-Makhzen)

The Kasbah Museum occupies Dar el-Makhzen, the former sultan's palace on the highest point of the Tangier Kasbah in northern Morocco. The building dates mainly to the late seventeenth century and was later used by successive sultans and governors; it now houses a museum of Moroccan arts and of the archaeology of the Tangier region. Visitors enter from the Place de la Kasbah, reached by walking uphill from the Petit Socco along Rue Ben Abou or by petit taxi to the Bab el-Assa gate. Rooms open onto a central courtyard with a fountain and a landscaped garden, and the rooms are decorated with carved cedar ceilings, zellige tilework and painted wood. Collections include Moroccan carpets, ceramics, manuscripts, jewellery and weapons, together with Roman, Punic and prehistoric finds from sites such as Lixus and Cotta. One gallery displays a Roman mosaic from Volubilis showing Venus and her attendants, and an arcaded hall shows how the palace was used for audiences. Beyond the museum, the adjoining Andalusian garden offers shade and views over the Strait of Gibraltar and the old port. A visit usually takes one to one and a half hours. Weekday mornings shortly after opening are quietest, while tour groups tend to arrive around midday. Opening hours are typically 10:00 to 18:00, with closure on Tuesday, though some sources also list Monday, so visitors should confirm at the gate. Reported adult tickets range from 20 to 60 MAD, with a lower child rate of about 10 MAD. The museum is a good anchor for a walking route that links the Kasbah gate, the viewing platform over the strait, and the medina below.