Le Jardin Majorelle
A garden like a work of art
The Jardin Majorelle is one of Morocco’s most enchanting and mystical gardens. It is located in the new town of Marrakesh, north-east of the historic old town and in the immediate vicinity to the Yves-Saint-Laurent museum. The garden was designed as a labyrinth and contains exotic trees and plants from all five continents on an area of more than 9,000sqm. Simply breathtaking!
For many years, the Jardin Majorelle has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for me and I have often dreamt of its colours, which are unique. – Yves Saint Laurent
After the death of Yves Saint Laurent in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the rose garden. A pedestal with flowers and a photograph remind visitors of the couturier and his close ties to the estate.
FRENCH ARTISTRY
French painter Jacques Majorelle discovered Morocco, then still under French occupation, as a subject for his art in 1917 and settled in Marrakesh. He set up a studio in a villa and created the garden which served him as a motif as well as an outlet for his botanical interests. The garden has been open to the public since 1947. In 1966, just four years after the artist’s death, French couturier Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé also fell under the spell of Morocco. They purchased the then-unoccupied villa and its overgrown garden and saved the estate from being turned into a hotel complex that would have destroyed it completely.
FRENCH ARTISTRY
French painter Jacques Majorelle discovered Morocco, then still under French occupation, as a subject for his art in 1917 and settled in Marrakesh. He set up a studio in a villa and created the garden which served him as a motif as well as an outlet for his botanical interests. The garden has been open to the public since 1947. In 1966, just four years after the artist’s death, French couturier Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé also fell under the spell of Morocco. They purchased the then-unoccupied villa and its overgrown garden and saved the estate from being turned into a hotel complex that would have destroyed it completely.
For many years, the Jardin Majorelle has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for me and I have often dreamt of its colours, which are unique. – Yves Saint Laurent
After the death of Yves Saint Laurent in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the rose garden. A pedestal with flowers and a photograph remind visitors of the couturier and his close ties to the estate.
ART DÉCO VILLA IN BLUE
Visitors to the Jardin Majorelle and the striking blue Middle Eastern villa of Majorelle, which housed the painter’s studio, usually remain particularly impressed by the villa’s colour that is visible even from afar and is particularly intense. It is a unique shade of cobalt blue, today also referred to as Majorelle blue. The estate was created over forty years ago and consists of a labyrinth of criss-crossing paths, interlocking layers and Moorish Art Deco buildings in bold colours. The garden is a gigantic, opulent collection of exotic plants and trees from distant lands. For French painter Jacques Majorelle, it was a homage to the unbelievable power and beauty of nature as well as a botanical laboratory.
GREEN OASIS OF REST AND RESTORATION
The garden contains plants from all five continents, mainly palm trees, cacti and bougainvillea. Twenty gardeners and workers take care of the garden and pools on a daily basis. In 1999, three hundred plant species were counted here, mostly thanks to the wide range of cacti. In 2000, the garden was fitted with an automated watering system so that the plants could be given the optimal volume of water at perfectly timed intervals. Today, visitors to the Jardin Majorelle can look forward to more than 400 palm and 1,800 cacti species as well as papyrus and bamboo plants, ponds and water lilies. The contrast between the luminous colours of the clay pots and the colours of the plants and buildings make the Jardin Majorelle a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Every year, approximately 650,000 visitors come to admire this beautiful parkland.
BERBER ART IN THE PAINTER’S STUDIO
The Berber museum under the patronage of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, was opened in the former painter’s studio of Jacques Majorelle in 2011. It is located at the heart of the Jardin Majorelle and shows a panorama that bears witness to the extraordinary creativity of North Africa’s oldest people: the Berbers. More than 600 objects collected by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent are on display in the museum, a testimony to the richness and variety of a culture that is still vibrant today. The museum is divided into four different areas categorised by subject. At the start, the history and geography of the Berbers (Amazighs) are presented as well as a map of the most important tribes. Extensive audio-visual documentation accompanies visitors on their tour of the museum.
Opening hours
Monday – Sunday (11am – 5pm)
The Jardin Majorelle is fully accessible.
Opening hours
Monday – Sunday (11am – 5pm)
The Jardin Majorelle is fully accessible.
YOUR PUR LIFE MAROC EXPERIENCE
Programme – half-day trip including lunch:
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