Musée du Patrimoine Immatériel – Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine

The Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine (INSAP) maintains a branch in Agadir that focuses specifically on the documentation and preservation of Morocco’s intangible cultural heritage in the Souss-Massa region. This institution plays a crucial role in the academic and cultural landscape of southern Morocco, working alongside municipal museums and cultural organizations to ensure that the living traditions of the Amazigh people and other communities of the region are recorded, studied, and transmitted to future generations. The institute’s work encompasses a wide range of cultural expressions recognized as intangible heritage under UNESCO definitions: oral traditions and storytelling, traditional performing arts such as the Ahwach group dances of the Atlas and the Souss, traditional craftsmanship including pottery, basket weaving, and embroidery, social practices and ritual events, and traditional knowledge related to the use of argan oil, medicinal plants, and agricultural techniques. Research teams work in collaboration with local communities, schools, and cultural associations to produce documentary films, ethnographic archives, publications, and educational materials. The institution also provides technical expertise to local authorities and civil society organizations working on heritage preservation projects. Visitors and researchers can access the institute’s documentation centre and reference collections by appointment. The INSAP Agadir branch works in close coordination with its headquarters in Rabat.