Museum of History and Civilizations

Museum of History and Civilizations

ⵜⴰⵙⵏⵏⵉⵖⵜ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵣⵔⵓⵢ ⴷ ⵜⵖⵔⵎⵉⵡⵉⵏ
Museum of History, Rabat
Established	1932; 94 years ago
Location	Av. Moulay Abdelaziz Rabat, Morocco
Type	Archaeological museum
Key holdings	Bust of Juba II Bust of Cato Roman-Amazigh sculptures & artefacts
Collections	Prehistoric Roman Islamic
Collection size	~550

The Museum of History and Civilizations (Arabic: متحف التاريخ والحضارات, romanized: Matḥaf al-Tārīkh wa-al-Haḍārāt, French: Musée de l'histoire et des civilisations) is a national archaeological museum in Rabat, Morocco. Established as the Rabat Archaeological Museum in 1932, it reopened under its current name in April 2017 following renovation.

Its collections trace the archaeology of Morocco from prehistory through the Phoenician, Mauretanian, Roman and Islamic periods. Notable holdings include Roman bronzes excavated at Volubilis, including representations of Juba II, Cato and several ephebes.

History

Originally the Rabat Archaeological Museum, the core structure was built in the 1920s under the French protectorate to house the Service des Antiquités du Protectorat, a colonial government institution. In 1930, the decision to transform the building into a nationwide archaeological museum would see a major transfer of artefacts to Rabat, many of which had been largely uncovered in Volubilis and Chellah, following systemic excavations initiated in 1915 by Marshal Lyautey. Subsequently, new showrooms were built around the administrative nucleus to organize collections. By 1957, the building sat in its final architectural form.

Since 2014, the museum has been under the care and protection of the National Foundation of Museums. After a year-long period of closure prompted by renovations, the museum was reopened to the public under its current name in April 12, 2017. The budget of the restoration project was 5.5 million Moroccan dirhams.

Mission

Beyond the preservation of rare ancient art, the museum brings into light far earlier periods of Moroccan history that are less familiar (and often misunderstood) to much of the general public. The museum encourages in particular Moroccans to visit, as explained by museum curator Fatima-Zahra Chbiri at the 2017 reopening:

"I especially invite the Moroccan public to visit the new museum. The patrimony exhibited here is largely unknown, particularly among Moroccan [citizens]."

Collections

The museum can be organised into three eras, displayed across three rooms, a patio, and a garden. All artefacts were exclusively discovered at archaeological sites in Morocco.

Prehistory

The prehistoric collections cover the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Ages, with archaeological material documenting human presence and material culture in Morocco during these periods.

human skull

Antiquity (chronological)

• Phoenician period: Early Mediterranean trade and religious influence.
• Mauretanian period: Indigenous North African kingdom; cultural and political peak during Juba II and Cleopatra Selene II.
• Roman period: Mauretania as part of the Roman Empire (Province of Mauretania Tingitana).

The Roman period is the largest section of the museum, to which two areas are dedicated:

Hall of Marbles

Marble sculpture of a female (possibly Venus), 25 BC-40 CE

White marble sculptures in display, originally found across Iulia Valentia Banasa, Tamoussida, and Chellah.

Hall of Bronzes

The oval showroom is entirely composed of bronzes excavated at Volubilis. Themes include Greco-Roman religion (figurines of Venus, Juno, Eros, etc.), busts of historical and political figures (famously Juba II, Cato), full-size statues (Ephebos), and public life (constitutions).

Late antiquity

Objects dating from the transitional period between antiquity and the arrival of Islam document religious life in late-antique Morocco. The collection includes material associated with both Jewish and Christian religious practices.

Bust of Juba II, 20 BCE

Islamic period

Presented in a dedicated pavilion, this section focuses on Islamic civilisation in Morocco, from the Almoravid dynasty to the Alaouites. Islamic coinage, Cuerda seca (dry cord), architectural elements, etc.

The Islamic collections cover Moroccan dynasties, including the Idrisids, Almoravids, Almohads, Marinids, Saadis and Alaouites. Objects include gold coins, ceramics, scientific instruments and architectural elements.

Rock Inscriptions

Displayed around a patio, this section includes Libyco-Berber inscriptions, the earliest written forms used by indigenous North Africans. Alongside them are Latin inscriptions and, additionally, Islamic inscriptions from Marrakesh.

Gallery

• 
  Bronze Arm
• 
  Bronze horse found in Volubilis
• 
  Cato the Younger
• 
  Eros // Cupid
• 
  Ptolemy of Mauretania
• 
  Theseus & the Minotaur.
• 
  Neptune
• 
  Ephebos

See also

• Marrakech Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier)
• Joudia Hassar-Benslimane

External links

• Maroc.net
• Flickr images