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Building the Moroccan Court

Journey from Fez to New York to watch artisans build a modern Moroccan court inside The Met using traditional 15th-century techniques.

In 2011, after an extensive renovation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened the new Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia, which house the Museum's renowned collection of Islamic art. A vital part of the installation was the Patti Cadby Birch Court, a Moroccan court built by a team of experts—from curators and historians to designers and craftsmen—over many months. Complementing the works on view, which span the past fourteen hundred years, the Moroccan Court provides an experience of space and architecture while demonstrating Islamic artistic traditions that continue to flourish today.

The court was made possible by the Patti and Everett B. Birch Foundation.


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