Things to Do in Mohammed Vi Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Permanent Collection Highlights

Start on the mezzanine with the 1960s Casablanca School canvases. The raw burlap still smells of linseed and the reds have faded to brick. Downstairs, a darkened room projects a 12-minute loop of Tangier artist Mounir Fatmi's flickering neon calligraphy. You'll feel the bass thrum in your ribs while Arabic letters dissolve into static. The effect punches hard.

Roof-Terrace Café Pause

Climb the narrow spiral stair to the rooftop café where metal chairs scrape across terracotta tiles. Order a thé à la menthe and watch clouds drift over the Hassan Tower minaret. The sugary steam fogs your glasses while swallows swoop overhead. Sip slowly.

Temporary Exhibit Openings

On the first Thursday of each month the museum stays open until 9 p.m. You'll hear corks pop at the free vernissage and catch the scent of orange-blossom water sprayed over trays of cornes de gazelle pastries. Locals treat it like a social event, so expect lively debate in front of the pieces rather than hushed whispers. Join in.

Art Library Nook

Tucked behind the gift shop, the small reference library smells of old paper and leather bindings. Slide out exhibition catalogues from the 1980s and you'll see handwritten French marginalia, giving a sense of which artists mattered to earlier visitors. History whispers here.

Sculpture Garden Stroll

Exit through the side gate into the pocket garden where limestone sculptures by Chaibia Tallal sit under jacarandas. In April the fallen purple blossoms stick to the soles of your shoes, releasing a faint grassy scent when crushed. Crunch softly.

Hassan quarter: tree-shaded streets behind the minaret, cafés full of politicians' aides arguing over espresso. Eavesdrop freely.

Medina rooftops inside the 12th-century walls, where you'll hear the call to prayer echo bounce between whitewashed houses. Sound soars.

Agdal's high-rise district for late-night fast-food counters and neon-lit gyms

Quartier Ocean: 1950s apartment blocks a short walk from the Atlantic corniche, smelling of salt and seaweed at low tide. Breathe deep.

Souissi embassy zone: quiet, residential, with peacocks roaming the royal gardens at dawn. Feathers flash.

Old RCAR railway workers' bungalows near the zoo, now converted into budget guesthouses painted mint-green. Cheap sleep.