French artist Jacques
Majorelle (1886–1962)
came to Marrakech in
1919 to recuperate from
his heart problems and
immediately saw the
painterly potential of
southern Morocco.
Louis Majorelle
Louis Majorelle was the
painter’s equally famous
father. A French decorator
and furniture designer, he
was one of the leading
exponents of the Art
Nouveau style. His work
is displayed in celebrated
museums, such as the
Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
The plants
A beautiful bamboo
“forest” and an arid cactus
garden with species from
around the world share garden
space (below). Most
stunning of all are the
flowering masses of red
and purple bougainvillea.
Bassins and
fountains
The garden has a fountain
and two large bassins or
pools (left), the smaller fed
by a sloping channel. Next
to the museum, a third pool
is filled with golden carp.
Boutique
In the northeast corner, a small boutique sells an
interesting array of quality local handicrafts including
clothing, jewellery and miscellaneous leather
products such as bags, sandals and beautifully bound
notebooks. However, there is a notable paucity of
information concerning Majorelle and his garden.
Islamic Art
Museum
The painter’s former
studio now houses a
small but well-presented
collection that includes
Berber jewellery, fine
embroidery and carved
wooden items.
Majorelle’s
paintings
The museum’s first room
has a series of lithographs
depicting various
Atlas kasbahs. Some
of Majorelle’s most
acclaimed works were
the tourism posters that
he created for Morocco.
Majorelle blue
The name Majorelle
lives on in an electrifying
shade of cobalt blue
inspired by the Berber
homes of southern
Morocco. His former
studio is strikingly
painted in this colour.
Bassins and
fountains
The garden has a fountain
and two large bassins or
pools (left), the smaller fed
by a sloping channel. Next
to the museum, a third pool
is filled with golden carp.
Petrol station
At the corner of
Boulevard de Safi, this
petrol station was designed
by Jean-François
Zevaco and is possibly
the city’s most striking
modernist building.
Doors and ceilings
Arguably the highlight
of the museum is its
collection of wooden
doors and ceilings
(below), all beautifully
carved. Some of the
ceiling panels are painted
but most impressive are
the huge double doors
dating from the 17th to
the 19th centuries.
Yves Saint-
Laurent
French designer Yves
Saint-Laurent first
visited the city in 1962.
By the end of the ’60s,
he’d bought his first
house here, a palatial
place in the medina
known as the “House
of the Serpent”. Later,
he moved into a villa
next to Majorelle
Gardens, which he
purchased and saved
from being destroyed to
make way for an apartment
complex. Saint-
Laurent still spends part
of each year in the city.
