Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts

The Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts, known in French as the Musée Nejjarine des Arts et Métiers du Bois, is one of the most architecturally spectacular museums in Morocco. Located in the historic Fondouk al-Najjarin, an 18th-century caravanserai on Place Nejjarine in Fes el-Bali, the building was commissioned by Sultan Moulay Ismail in 1711 and once served as a commercial centre and warehouse for precious goods. Classified as a national monument in 1916, the fondouk fell into disuse during the French Protectorate before being comprehensively restored between 1990 and 1996. It was inaugurated as a private museum in May 1998 under the management of the Mohammed Karim Lamrani Foundation for the Nejjarine Ensemble. The museum’s collection celebrates Morocco’s extraordinary woodworking tradition, presenting an array of historic objects including doors, musical instruments, woodworking tools, prayer beads, Berber locks, furniture, decorative panels, and carved wooden boards once used by students learning Quranic recitation. The centrepiece of the building is its triple-galleried central courtyard, adorned with intricate cedar wood balconies, mashrabiyas, and carved stucco, all illustrating the same exquisite craftsmanship displayed in the collections. The rooftop café offers commanding views over the rooftops of the Fès medina. The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM, and entrance is affordable, making it an ideal cultural stop in the medina.