What a great place to start the discovery of cultures that are not derived from Greece or the Europeans. The Musee d'Arts Africains, Oceaniens & Amerindiens in Marseille is an extraordinary place to soak in the world as percieved, understood and celebrated by the people of Africa, Oceania and America before the Spanish colonization.
It's exhilarating to find that not all peoples have followed the same route and held the same view and gone through the same pattern of growth as the Western peoples. In these rooms you will find each of these continents (for want of a better word) various cultures preserved almost in pristine condition.
If there is anything that can be called the centerpiece of the museum then it has to be the Tropical Aquarium. The other fascinating sight is the collection of skulls from the Solomon Islands, Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu among other places.
The African room houses collections that are primarily from the Northern part of Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. These are also places where the French were mostly focused on during their colonization of the continent.
This is the perfect place to spend a whole day contemplating the amazing journey our human race has made over the centuries and across the Earth.
Musée des Arts Africains, Océaniens & Amérindiens address and hours
Musée des Arts Africains, Océaniens & Amérindiens
2, rue de la Charité
13002 Marseille
Open Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays
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