5 Best Museums in Agadir: Art + Amazigh Design
- Malika
- Oct 9, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 7
From a recreated medina to a modern earthquake exhibit, discover 5 of the best museums in Agadir.
Located where the Atlas Mountains meet the Atlantic Ocean, Agadir is a bustling beach resort fringed by a long stretch of golden sand. It’s home to one of Morocco’s largest markets and is considered a major hub for Amazigh culture, with Tachelhit spoken by more than half the population.
In 1960, Agadir was devastated by a catastrophic earthquake that reduced much of it to rubble, leaving an indelible mark on the cityscape today.
While many travellers come to Agadir to enjoy its sun, surf and sand lifestyle, it’s worth setting aside some time to delve deeper into the city’s cultural heritage. Whether you want to see what the medina looked like before the 1960 earthquake or gain a better understanding of Amazigh traditions, there are cultural institutions to pique your interest.
In this article, I’ll introduce 5 of the best museums in Agadir, with opening hours and entrance fees to help plan your visit.
For more information about visiting this lively beach resort, check out my Essential Travel Guide to Agadir.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Agadir Art Museum
Once a museum of Amazigh culture, this museum has reinvented itself as an art museum while retaining some of its previous collection. Aside from handcrafted jewellery, textiles and pottery that offer a glimpse into the daily lives of local people, there are modern and contemporary artworks on display.
Included in the entrance fee is a small booklet, which contains write-ups of the exhibitions in Tachelhit, Darija, English and French. As a result, it's a great place to better understand the history of Agadir, as well as the continued evolution and creative expression of its people.
A visit to the Agadir Art Museum can easily be combined with a stroll along the tree-lined trails of nearby Jardin Ibn Zaidoun.
Opening hours of the Agadir Art Museum: 10 am to 6 pm (closed Tuesdays)
Entrance fee for the Agadir Art Museum: 40 dh
Best museums in Agadir
This open-air living museum blends architecture, history and ethnology while recreating Agadir’s medina as it appeared prior to 1960. This grand reconstruction was the brainchild of Beato Salvatore 'Coco Pollizzi', a Moroccan-born Sicilian master who long dreamed of reviving Agadir's historic centre.
Completed in the 1990s, La Médina d'Agadir offers a captivating glimpse into the Agadir of yesteryear, with craftspeople producing traditional wares in workshops throughout the medina. As you wander the narrow streets and arcaded galleries, you can appreciate the skill of the master craftsmen who worked on the project.
Highlights include the Amazigh doors carved in wood and the wrought-iron scrolls, as well as the mosaic floors and ornate mashrabiya (projecting oriel windows).
While some people feel La Medina d’Agadir lacks authenticity, I think it beautifully preserves the architectural legacy of the Amazigh people. The recreated souks are a great place to pick up traditional handicrafts and there's an alfresco cafe where you can sit and soak up the peaceful atmosphere.
Opening hours of La Medina d’Agadir: 9 am to 6 pm
Entrance fee for the La Medina d’Agadir: 40 dh
Best museums in Agadir
This newly opened museum looks into the history of Agadir, both before and after the 1960 earthquake. It showcases a large collection of photographs and newspaper clippings that illustrate the beauty of Agadir in the early 20th century, before the cityscape was forever altered.
The exhibits are arranged chronologically and complemented by video projections. It’s confronting to see the aftermath of the earthquake that reduced much of the city to rubble and reflect on everything that was lost while listening to the testimonies of those who lived through it.
The Musee de la Reconstruction d'Agadir replaces the Memoire d'Agadir, which was located just around the corner in Jardin Olhao. It's located a short walk from the cable car station that leads to the hilltop ruins of the Agadir Oufella.
Opening hours of the Musée de la Reconstruction d'Agadir: 9:30 am to 5 pm (closed Mondays)
Entrance fee for the Musée de la Reconstruction d'Agadir: 20 dh
Best museums in Agadir
University Museum of Meteorites
Housed within the City of Innovation Souss-Massa at the University of Ibn Zohr, this fascinating museum serves as a hub for the preservation and study of celestial treasures. It’s operated by the university's astronomy club and offers visitors a chance to see a diverse collection of meteorites, tektites and other impactites that have been recovered from across the North African nation.
As the only museum of its kind on the African continent, the University Museum of Meteorites reflects Morocco's rich geological heritage and its deep connections to the mysteries of the cosmos. Aside from its informative documentaries and interactive exhibits, it’s also a great place to learn from expert researchers and educators how to identify various types of meteoritic material.
Leading the team is meteorite expert Professor Abderahmane Ibhi, who is a wealth of knowledge about these cosmic treasures. Be sure to ask about the Imilchil-Agoudal impact crater in the High Atlas mountains, which was only recently discovered by researchers from the University of Ibn Zohr.
Top tip: If you’ve found what you think might be a meteorite, you can bring it to the museum to have it expertly assessed by the team.
Opening hours of the University Museum of Meteorites: 8 am to 6:30 pm (closed Sundays)
Entrance fee for the University Museum of Meteorites: 10 dh
Best museums in Agadir
While technically in Taroudant, this outstanding museum can easily be visited as a day trip from Agadir. It occupies the former residence of Chilean hyperrealist artist Claudio Bravo and offers a peek into his personal life, as well as exhibiting artefacts he collected over the years.
You need to join a guided tour to explore the museum, which showcases Bravo's stunning paintings alongside his private collection of works from friends like Picasso. Bravo's exceptional skill is immediately visible in the lifelike portraits and still-life artworks that brought him recognition.
Although entry to the palace itself requires a ticket, you can wander through the expansive gardens and grounds at no cost. A series of reflecting pools, fountains and flower-adorned pathways spread across the estate and there's an airy pavilion where you can relax with a mint tea.
You can learn more about visiting Taroudant and the best places to stay in this "Mini Marrakech" in my Ultimate Travel Guide to Taroudant.
Opening hours of the Palais Musee Claudio Bravo: 10 am to 4 pm daily
Entrance fee for the Palais Musee Claudio Bravo: 200 dh
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About the author
I'm Malika, a global traveller who first visited Morocco in 2014 before marrying a local and settling down in a little village on the Atlantic coast. Over the years, I've developed an intense love for Morocco, its majestic landscapes, storied cities and the incredibly warm hospitality of its people. As the owner and content creator of Malika in Morocco, I share my years of experience exploring the country, from north to south and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahara Desert. I am passionate about helping others plan their Moroccan travel adventures to ensure they get the most out of their North African experience.
