Musée de la Musique

Moroccan music is a meeting of traditions: Arab-Andalusian court music, Berber folk songs, Gnawa spiritual rhythms, Sufi devotional chanting. The Musée de la Musique displays the instruments that make these sounds possible. The collection includes guembris (the Gnawa bass lute), ouds, rebabs, bendirs, and instruments you won't recognize from regions you haven't visited. The labels explain; recorded music plays. But the real education happens elsewhere — in Jemaa el-Fna at night, in Khamlia, in any wedding you're lucky enough to pass. The museum occupies a restored riad near the Bahia Palace. The building hosts concerts, especially during the Gnawa Festival in Essaouira's lead-up events. Check the schedule; hearing the instruments played is worth more than seeing them displayed. Best time: Any time Allow: 45 minutes Combine with: Bahia Palace and Tiskiwin Museum