NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY

The museum is located in the grounds of the Sidi Bel Hassan mosque. Built in 1297 by Abou Saïd Othman, the first son of Yaghmoracen, in honor of the Emir Abou Amar Ibrahim, it is named after Abou El-Hassan Ben Yekhlef El-Tenessi, a scholar who lived during the reign of Abou Saïd Othman. Originally a princely oratory, the mosque served as a barn at the start of the French conquest, before becoming a fodder and alcohol store, then an Arab-French school and finally a museum in 1901. The museum occupies the oratory of the former mosque, the adjoining room, the former courtyard and a room on the second floor. On display are artifacts of Almoravid and Zianid art, relics found during excavations at Siga, Honaïne and the Agadir mosque, as well as Almohad and Roman coins. Unfortunately, the labels are mainly written in Arabic, so it's best to visit with a French-speaking guide who can explain the objects on display. Every April, the museum organizes "Les nuits de la calligraphie et du manuscrit", a few-day event featuring exhibitions, lectures and calligraphy workshops. It's a great cultural event for discovering the use of the Arabic letter in different fields and raising public awareness of how to preserve ancient manuscripts. The ^7th edition of this event was held in 2024.