Museum Traces History of Moroccan Currency
Translated from Arabic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Bank Al-Maghrib has opened a new museum in Fez, Morocco, dedicated to the history of Moroccan currency.
- The museum showcases numismatic artifacts and coins dating from pre-Islamic times to the 21st century.
- It aims to illustrate Morocco's monetary history, highlighting its economic, artistic, technical, and cultural dimensions.
Bank Al-Maghrib has inaugurated a new museum in Fez, Morocco, offering a comprehensive journey through the history of Moroccan currency. The museum, located in a symbolic historic building in the old medina, showcases a rich collection of numismatic finds and coins.
The Money Museum has found its home in the old city of Fez, in a symbolic old building that represents all types of traditional crafts for which Fez, and Morocco as a whole, is famous.
The exhibits span from pre-Islamic eras to the 21st century, coinciding with the 27th anniversary of the Throne Day. The museum aims to present the evolution of payment methods and currency in Morocco, emphasizing the kingdom's rich monetary history and the economic, artistic, technical, and cultural dimensions that have shaped its numismatic heritage over the centuries.
Rashdi Bernoussi, Director of Bank Al-Maghrib Museums, stated that the Money Museum is housed in a building that represents the traditional crafts of Fez and Morocco. He explained that the museum seeks to bring visitors closer to Morocco's history through its unique monetary collection, illustrating the historical stages of Moroccan currency, as money is a reflection of this history.
The Moroccan history through money. This is the characteristic of Bank Al-Maghrib museums; we try, through the unique monetary collection we have, to bring the visitor and the citizen closer to the history of Morocco; by showing the historical stages that Moroccan currency has known; because money is a reflection of this history.
"We offer visitors a space for discovery, with ancient coins from antiquity, through the Islamic period (pre-protectorate), up to the Alawite era," Bernoussi said. The museum presents gold, silver, and copper coins, as well as banknotes, using modern displays and advanced information technology. Interactive tools and games are available to help visitors, young and old, learn about currency and Moroccan history.
We offer visitors a space for discovery, with ancient coins from antiquity, through the Islamic period (pre-protectorate), up to the Alawite era.
Asmahan Bouktab, Head of the Numismatic Studies Department at Bank Al-Maghrib Museum, added that the new museum provides visitors with a rich collection of currencies and coins that circulated in Morocco or are generally in circulation. She elaborated that the museum presents the history of coins through archaeological finds, following a chronological path that narrates the journey of currency from its inception under various rulers of Morocco to the reign of King Mohammed VI.
This museum presents visitors with a rich collection of currencies and coins that circulated in Morocco or are generally in circulation.
Originally published by Hespress in Arabic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.