The world of motor vehicles evokes great passion, with enthusiasts all over the planet, regardless of their religion, economic status, and other aspects. Therefore, there are several car museums in the Muslim world, as most kings of these countries have always been great car enthusiasts. In this post, we briefly review some of the most interesting ones, which will be within your reach if you organize a tour with our group’s agencies.
Morocco National 4×4 Auto Museum, Merzouga
In southern Morocco, where the road comes to an end and asphalt turns into dirt, is where we find the Morocco National 4×4 Auto Museum. This museum, located in the town of Merzouga, near the Erg Chebbi dunes, showcases the rich collection of vehicles that the various Alaouite kings have amassed over time. And these are not just simple vehicles, but genuine 4x4s to move comfortably, safely, and luxuriously through this arid terrain. The collection consists of about 30 cars from brands as diverse as Jeep, Toyota, or Ford, some of them so old that their manufacture dates back more than 100 years.
Key Museum, Izmir
The Key Museum is, without a doubt, one of the best in the world in its genre. This venue in Izmir (Turkey) not only stands out for its rich and varied collection on display but also for the excellent facilities in which they are exhibited, providing a magnificent visitor experience. Alfa Romeo, Triumph, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari… and a long list that also includes motorcycles and sidecars, as well as carriages predating the emergence of motor vehicles. In total, 84 automobiles and 44 motorcycles, gathered by the collecting passion of entrepreneurs Murat and Selim Özgörkey.
Tofaş Museum of Cars and Anatolian Carriages, Bursa
In this Turkish city, south of Istanbul, lies another of the country’s several car museums, although in this case more modest than the one in Izmir. Nevertheless, it is a good showcase of the tradition of this city and province in the automotive industry sector. Moreover, some of the models exhibited here have sentimental value for all Turks, such as the first Murat 131 manufactured in the country, which was the local version of the FIAT 131.
Royal Automobile Museum, Amman
In the capital of Jordan lies another museum that every motor enthusiast should visit. This time, with a collection of about 70 vehicles, carefully treasured by the Hashemite royal family. The initiator of this collection was Hussein, who personally used some of these cars, such as the Lincoln Capri in which he was crowned in 1953. Or the Mercedes Benz 300SL in which he participated in sports races. The latest additions to the collection are science fiction models, as they have been used in film shoots in the country.
Royal Carriages Museum, Cairo
Although Egypt is no longer a monarchical state, the country’s capital has a museum dedicated to the vehicles used by the former royal family. And since it covers a period spanning the last decades of the 19th century and the first of the 20th, here mainly horse-drawn carriages are exhibited. One of the most famous is the Golden Carriage, used by King Farouk, Egypt’s last monarch, in his 1937 coronation. However, this spacious covered venue also displays some motor vehicles, as well as motorcycles, which give an account of the refinement achieved by the local aristocracy before its definitive fall.
