A monument to Moroccan mâalems (master artisans), the home of Bou Ahmed's brother Si Said is a showcase of regional craftsmanship. It now houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts , starting with the oldest object in Marrakesh: an AD 1002–1007 chest that belonged to a chamberlain of Spain’s Umayyad Caliphate. Arrows direct visitors past antique yet fashion-forward Marrakshi man-bags; 20th-century High Atlas carpets; and doors carved with talismans, warding off the evil eye.
Upstairs, flower-painted musicians’ balconies flank the spectacular painted domed wedding-reception chamber credited to artisans from Fez. The rear staircase leads upstairs to a musical instruments display, or downstairs to the exit via the most delightful artefact of all: a Ferris wheel for babies, with pint-sized palanquins on a hand-cranked axis.
