ZL Art Gallery
About
The beginnings
The story started in 1929 with Aboouthman Brothers, Hadj Kebour and Hadj Rahal. The idea of art collecting first saw the light in 1930, by the two adventurous brothers who took a trip to discover Morocco as a whole and visit Algiers which was at the time the cultural capital of the Maghreb.
Hadj Kebbour Abouothman
Hadj Rahal Abouothman
The adventure
The brothers co-owned their first gallery together and worked for years building their reputation and showcasing their gems all over the world, their first international exhibition was The Paris Art & Craft Exhibition in 1937 followed by the Chicago Craft Exhibition in 1939 just a year before the opening of their second Gallery in Marrakech Morocco May 1940.
Creating a vision and specializing in Berber moroccan and jewish heritage, the brothers started traveling all over the world to bring back home art and objects to complete their collections.
Hadj Abderrazzak Abouothman
The new spirit
Hadj Rahal will find his final bed in june 1965 leaving behind the magical word of Art and Antiques to his brother and business associate.
Hadj Kebbour kept the business on the same path for 2 decades until march 1983 leaving behind the magical word of Art and Antiques, years later his son who was working as an engineer but grew up passionate about art and culture will take his place and preserve the two brother’s timeless heritage.
Hadj Abderrazzak who was back in the days a flourishing young engineer decided to fulfill his dad’s final wish and preserve the brother’s timeless heritage.
The gallery
ZL Gallery is the contribution of Abderrazak to the family’s old legacy. The gallery now has the family’s collection of antique jewelry, rugs and crafts showcased in a modern atmosphere, in which we will be honored to share with you these fabulous heritage. As Laurie Werner wrote in Forbes Magazine : 'ZL Gallery (Zaouiat Lahdar 18) is the opposite end of the collecting scale from the typical medina stall: a collection of rare, one of a kind artisanal pieces of extraordinary value and beauty. And its rooftop coffee terrace will feature a panoramic view of the medina including a look into its next door neighbor with which it shares a centuries old wall: the Ben Youssef mosque".
Fueled by the passion for art and cultural heritage they decided to dedicate their lives to what seems back in the days a magical world of Art, the search for handmade crafts first, then antique objects, with the primary intention of art sharing and cultivating the seeds of art tribute to local and foreign communities.
