A Journey through 13 Centuries of Costume and Tradition
Nestled in a magnificent 17th-century riad, the “Museum of Moroccan Elegance” has just opened its doors (Private photo)
In Marrakech, hidden away in a magnificent 17th-century riad, the “Museum of Moroccan Elegance” has just opened its doors. The place tells a unique story: that of the evolution of Moroccan costume over thirteen centuries, worn by almost 200 ravishing miniature dolls, representing both men’s and women’s outfits. Behind this beautiful collection lies the passion and life’s work of the late Habiba Hantout, a woman who, from an early age, was fascinated by
Fourteenth-century ceremonial costume. This costume was inspired by a painting on leather, visible on the ceilings of the Hall of the Kings at the Alhambra in Granada. This famous 14th-century fresco depicts a gathering of high dignitaries and scenes from court life
the diversity and beauty of traditional Moroccan dress. Born in 1936, Habiba Hantout grew up surrounded by sumptuous fabrics, watching in wonder as her family wore garments with stories stretching back thousands of years. Her grandmother draped in a white haïk, her aunts adorning their traditional hairstyles, or the djellabas carefully worn by her uncle, all awakened in her a deep admiration for her country’s sartorial heritage.
This fascination has never left her. Over the decades, Habiba Hantout embarked on a quest, collecting testimonies and archives, exploring the sartorial traditions of
Aït Sedrate Hartaniya (southern High Atlas). The hartaniyates are black or mixed-race descendants of slaves from Senegal and Sudan. Hartaniya women are renowned for their coquetry and original hairstyles.
every region of Morocco. Through these pieces, she has captured the essence of the influences that have shaped Morocco: from the simple, elegant drapes inherited from the Berber tribes, to the refined brocades bearing witness to the passage of Al-Andalous, to the oriental-influenced costumes.
Her meticulous and passionate work is now brought together in this museum, which her descendants have dedicated to her memory. Much more than a simple exhibition of costumes, this new establishment, open to the public and tourists alike, is a real journey through time, a celebration of Morocco’s cultural diversity, a bridge between ages and provinces.
Habiba Hantout was not only a talented dressmaker, but also a passionate researcher. Her book, “Treize siècles d’élégance au Maroc” (“Thirteen centuries of Moroccan elegance”), published in 2022, is the fruit of 40 years of intensive research and was praised by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. The book traces the history of Moroccan costumes, from their origins to their modern evolution, highlighting the richness and complexity of this heritage. The Museum is a tribute to the creativity of Moroccan dress in the past, but also a place to reflect on how clothing tells the story of an entire people. Through the exhibits, visitors are invited to understand how these garments were more than just clothes: they were symbols of status, culture, belief, and resistance through the ages.
The late Habiba Hantout bequeathed to Morocco and to the world a cultural treasure trove of immense value, where each outfit is a window onto a fragment of the country’s history.
Four costume families
– After 40 years of arduous research into Moroccan clothing, carried out both in documentary archives and in the field, Ms. Habiba Hantout, author and director of the present collection, has mainly identified four major costume families since the 8th century:
-” Drapes ”, large uncut and unstitched fabrics, constituting the essential basis of clothing, particularly for women: haik, ksa, melhafa, hanbel, mendil…
– ” Clothing-coats” with rural weaving (Middle and High Atlas tribes), designed to protect against heat and cold: handira, akhnif, selham, djellaba…
– ” Costumes inherited from al-Andalus”, a legacy closely linked to the shared history of Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula from the 8th to the 18th century: brocades (tiraz technique), marlota, caftan, bediya, jubba…– ” Modern-influenced costumes ”, developed as a result of advances in the world of fashion, the emancipation of Moroccan women, the rise of the middle classes, and the expansion of creativity: women’s djellaba, modern costumes…
A.Bo
