The cornerstone of the “Intangible Heritage Museum” was laid today, in the building of Bank Al Maghrib, Central Bank of Morocco, at Jemaa El Fna Square in Marrakesh in cooperation with the National Museum Foundation in Morocco and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). The effort is in line with the implementation of a partnership agreement that was signed last October between the two organizations, in cooperation with other partners.

The artist Mehdi Qotbi, President of National Museum Foundation, and Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), oversaw the ceremony with the attendance of several officials from the Organization and the Foundation and senior officials from Marrakesh.

Dr. Abdelaziz El Idrissi, Director of the Rabat-based Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art, gave a detailed presentation on the project. He pointed out that the Museum will host part of the collective memory of Jemaa El Fna Square. It will be open to the public with particular attention to the history of the building complimenting the surrounding area of the square.

For their part, the architects overseeing the project emphasized that the establishment will be equipped with cutting-edge display technology and will be open to children, from all age categories, to preserve and sustain the collective memory.

Aiming to publicize the Islamic world’s heritage and art and promote the true image of Islamic civilization and culture through art, the partnership agreement signed between ICESCO and the National Museum Foundation comprises a set of major programs and projects to be co-implemented by the parties.

The projects and programs include the Intangible Heritage Museum, exhibitions of collections of pottery, and traditional costumes inspired from the works of late world artist Eugene Delacroix. The Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art will host from April 7, through July 24, 2021, at ICESCO’s Headquarters, the international exhibition on “Eugene Delacroix: Memories of his Moroccan Travel,” along with training sessions for the staff of museums in the Islamic world.