It took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) four decades of dedication to create the enchanting botanical wonder now known as the Majorelle Garden at the edge of the “Ochre City” of Marrakech.

The vision of Jacques Majorelle

The Garden Majorelle is home to a unique collection of cacti.

When aspiring French painter Jacques Majorelle was sent to Morocco in 1917 to convalesce from a serious medical condition, he promptly fell in love with Marrakech. Fascinated with the vibrant colors and the picturesque street life of the city, he eventually decided to settle permanently there. In the early 1920’s he purchased a plot of land in a palm grove at the edge of the city, Over time, he gradually expanded the property to four hectares (10 acres), and commissioned  a French architect to design a cubist villa on the site, near his original Moroccan-style house.

A variety of colorful water basins dot the garden.

An ardent amateur botanist, as well as by now an established Orientalist painter, Majorelle de- voted himself to creating the luxuriant exotic garden which would become his most dazzling work. Over the next four decades, the fame of Majorelle’s garden grew to the point of surpassing that of his paintings.

Splashes of Majorelle blue enhance the exhuberant landscape.

But the glory of the Majorelle Garden is not just about its exuberant landscaping that brings together plants from around the world, or its water basins and lily pond, but that it is also home to a unique color. Throughout the property, walls and architectural elements are painted in a distinct blue so unique that the color has become trademarked under the name of Majorelle blue. Although this intense blue has gone on to inspire artists and designers around the world, nothing beats experiencing it in the place of its genesis.

The Inspiration of Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint-Laurent fell in love with the garden’s vibrant colors.

By the time of Majorelle’s death the garden had fallen into disrepair and would ultimately have disappeared, but for French fashion icon Yves Saint-Laurent and his life-long companion and business partner, Pierre Bergé. On their first visit to Marrakech in 1966 they discovered the now deserted garden and fell in love with “this oasis where colors used by Matisse were mixed with those of nature.” (Pierre Bergé, 2014, Yves Saint Laurent, a Moroccan Passion), They visited frequently, and the garden became a source of inspiration for Saint-Laurent’s couture collections.

Saint-Laurent restored the original garden and villas.

Then in 1980, they learned that the Jardin Majorelle was threatened by a real-estate development project. To rescue it from demolition, they decided to acquire it and set about restoring it. Committed to maintain the original vision of Jacques Majorelle, Saint-Laurent and Bergé oversaw a restoration project that not only revived the garden but expanded upon it. Automatic irrigation systems were installed; a team of 20 gardeners was put in place, and the number of plant species was increased from 135 to 300. Today, the colorful water basins and fountains are nestled within a dense fabric of mixed trees, flowers, and shrubs that fill the majority of the site.

When Saint-Laurent died in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the rose garden at Jardin Majorelle. Two years later, the street in front of the garden was renamed in his honor. In 2010, ownership of the property passed to the Foundation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, a French not-for-profit organization.

Homage to the Berber Culture

Jewelry is an especially important sign of Berber tribal identity.

In 2011, the Berber Museum was inaugurated on the bottom floor of the villa, which was once Jacques Majorelle’s atelier. This small but remarkably well curated museum offers a rich overview of the creativity of the Berber people, the most ancient in North Africa.

More than 600 objects from the Rif mountains to the Sahara desert, collected by Bergé and Saint Laurent, demonstrate the richness and diversity of this still-vibrant culture. Everyday and ceremonial objects attest to the know-how, both material and immaterial, found in the Berber culture. The collection reflects all the elements of Berber identity, including tribal costumes, weapons, weaving, carpets, decorated doors and musical instruments. Jewelry, an especially important sign of the social status of the woman wearing it, plays a central role in the collection.

The Saint-Laurent Legacy

The entrance of the recently opened Yves Saint-Laurent Museum.

Just a stone throw away from the Majorelle Garden, the Museum Yves Saint-Laurent Marrakech opened its doors in October 2017. Designed by the French architectural firm KO, the 4000 square meter (4300 square foot) the building consists of cubic shapes of terra-cotta bricks, con- crete and earthen-colored terrazzo that blend harmoniously with their surrounding. Arranged around a central atrium open to the sky as befits a traditional Moroccan home, the museum, in addition to a 400 square meter (4300 square foot) permanent exhibition space showcasing Yves Saint-Laurent’s creation, includes temporary exhibition space, a 130-seat auditorium, an elegant gift shop and a restaurant opened onto its own terrace.

The museum features an exquisite boutique.

As in its sister-museum in Paris, the permanent exhibit traces the development of Saint-Laurent’s unique style over the four decades during which his iconic designs revolutionized 20th century fashion. His pea coats, trench coats, tuxedos, pantsuits and safari jackets that became an integral part of women’s everyday wardrobes are all represented here, as well as his sublime evening dresses with their many artistic references. Overall a vivid reminder that Yves Saint-Laurent was the last of the grand couturiers that dominated the extraordinary post-World-War-Two epoch of French haute couture.

Good to Know

• The Majorelle Garden, Rue Yves Saint Laurent, Gueliz, Marrakech, is located just a 20 minute walk or a five minute taxi ride from the Medina. NOTE — the garden and related museums are now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Marrakech. Unless you are prepared to face hours-long lines at the box office, it is imperative to reserve your tickets well ahead through the Majorelle Foundation official ticket site . Plan at least one month ahead, more if possible, to secure combined tickets for the garden and museums for the date and time of your choice. The website is slow and rather clumsy, but with a bit a patience and determination, you shouldl be able get the desired results.
• The Garden is open daily from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm from October 1 to April 30, 8.00 am to 6:00 pm from May 1 to September 30 and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm the month of Ramadan. However, both the Berber and Yves Saint-Laurent museums are closed on Wednesday.

A Few Souvenirs

Location, location, location!