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All Morocco Fez Borj Nord Arms Museum

Borj Nord Arms Museum

This 16th-century Moroccan fortress-turned-armory museum offers prime views of the historic quarter in Fes.

Fez, Morocco

Added By
Rachel Gould
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Morocco, Fes, View of Borj Nord   Neil Farrin/Getty Images
Viewpoint and ruins of a former fort, Borj Nord, Fez, Morocco   Peter Schickert/Getty Images
Fes medina, as seen from Borj Nord   JD Dallet/Getty Images
The Saadian cannon used in the Battle of the Three Kings (1578), manufactured in 1571, and now on display in front of the Museum of Arms, at the Borj Nord in Fes.   Casual Builder/WikiCommons
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Jewel-encrusted daggers and inlaid rifles line the Borj Nord Arms Museum, a fortress built in 1582 at the behest of Saadian Sultan Ahmed El Mansour Eddahbi.

The Borj Nord was constructed during the Saadi dynasty in the late 16th century to keep a watchful eye over the Moroccan city of Fes.

This palatial structure was converted into an armory museum in 2016, and today, it exhibits some 5,000 weapons, from a 12-ton cannon used in the infamous mid-16th century Battle of Three Kings to the nearly 800 military items in the museum’s collection and archival photography.

Thirteen rooms inside the Borj Nord Arms Museum display an expanse of a historic armory, much of which was dedicated by royalty and includes rare artifacts from Morocco and around the world.

Even if spectacular weaponry isn’t your beat, the museum is well worth a visit for arresting views of the Fes Medina from the magnificent Merenid Tombs. Across the valley, the fortress of Borj Sud—the southern counterpart of the Borj Nord serves as an equally imposing military monument.

The Borj Nord Museum was closed for renovation for several years and re-opened in March 2025.

 

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Community Contributors

Added By

Rachel Gould

Edited By

Max Cortesi

  • Max Cortesi

Published

November 13, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/morocco/fez/attractions/borj-nord/a/poi-sig/1329137/355510
  • http://www.morocco.com/museums/borj-nord/
  • https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/morocco/fez-meknes-middle-atlas/fez/fez-el-bali/borj-nord/
Borj Nord Arms Museum
Avenue des Merinides
Fez
Morocco
34.068089, -4.984821
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Merenid Tombs

Fez, Morocco

miles away

Dar al-Magana

Fez, Morocco

miles away

The Blue Gate of Fes

Fez, Morocco

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Fez

Fez

Morocco

Places 11

Nearby Places

Merenid Tombs

Fez, Morocco

miles away

Dar al-Magana

Fez, Morocco

miles away

The Blue Gate of Fes

Fez, Morocco

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Fez

Fez

Morocco

Places 11

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