Jardin Majorelle

Jardin Majorelle is an unmissable stop in Marrakesh. The gardens and buildings will delight the senses. The landscape features cacti, exotic plants, and trees that thrive in the hot and dry climate of Northern Africa. Pools and streams run through the property, enhanced by the vibrant painted paths and buildings. Birdsong is particularly noticeable in the garden, as the plants serve as an oasis in the city.

Jardin Majorelle is named after Jacques Majorelle, a French painter who moved to Morocco in 1917. For the next 13 years he traveled extensively throughout southern Morocco, which gave him the inspiration for his paintings and book. The current site of Jardin Majorelle grew from an initial 4-acre plot purchased in 1923, to around 10 acres at his death in 1955. During that time, Majorelle, who was also an amateur botanist, expanded the gardens and commissioned the cubist house and workshop. After his death, the garden, although previously open to the public, fell into disrepair. It remained so until 1966, when the garden was rediscovered by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The two set about restoring the garden and increasing the number of plants from 135 to 300. When Yves Saint Laurent passed away in 2008, he had his ashes scattered in the garden, and a foundation was created to maintain the garden and keep it open to the public. 

The Berber Museum, housed in the Villa Oasis, focuses on the life and culture of the Imazighen, or Berbers, who are some of the original people of North Africa.