Majorelle Gardens, a must in Marrakech

October 12, 2018

This week we have been in Marrakech, the city with the most cultural wealth in Morocco. Five intense days in which we have been able to learn Architecture, textiles, craft techniques and History.

With each walk through the zocco and the medina we soak up the smells, discover new colors, taste new flavors and learn to differentiate between the many spices so used in Arab culture.

For all this, we could not resist to participate in a workshop of natural dyes (as you could see in our Instagram profile), we learned to mix colors, from indigo blue to cobalt, to dye fabrics and then put them to dry to the sun. An rewarding experience that we complete with our visit to one of the biggest attractions in the city, an oasis of peace in such a dynamic city: the Majorelle gardens.

This botanical paradise is the work of the landscape painter Jacques Marojelle who, in love with the colors, smells and architecture of the city, decided in 1922 to buy a modest estate with an Art Deco style villa. It was over the years when around the main house was creating an enclave composed of exotic plants and species that was collected in each of their trips around the world: cactus, yuccas, water lilies, jasmine, palm, banana, bamboo. ..

However, it was not until 1980 when Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé created the Association for the Protection of the Majorelle Garden and set out to renovate and restore the then abandoned estate. Today, the Majorelle Garden is managed by the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation (as well as the museum that will be discussed in future posts) and is one of the main demands of Marrakech.