The MAHE (Museu Arqueològic i d'Història d'Elx) is built into and over the ruins of the Moorish alcazaba — the fortress that once controlled medieval Elche. The building itself is part of the exhibit: as you move through the galleries, you pass sections of the original fortifications, walk along parts of the old walls, and descend into spaces that were once towers or courtyards. It is an unusually honest piece of museum architecture, making the ruins a structural part of the visitor experience rather than something cordoned off behind glass.
The collection covers Elche from prehistoric times through the Roman and Moorish periods, and includes a full-scale replica of the Dama de Elche — the extraordinary Iberian stone bust, dated to the 4th century BC, discovered at La Alcudia just outside the city in 1897. The original is in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid, and Elche has campaigned for its return for decades without success, so the replica here carries a certain political weight. The museum is compact and well-curated; allow an hour and a half.