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In the middle of the hectic city of Marrakech, there is a Garden of Eden restored by Yves Saint Laurent, which invites you to let yourself be enchanted by this fascinating place and relax with its play of plants, colors and materials.
Which country is Majorelle Garden?
The Majorelle Garden is one of the few sights of Marrakech, which is located not in the medina, but in the Guéliz district. The garden is famous above all for its cobalt blue, which goes back to the French painter Jacques Majorelle, who created this little paradise in 1923. The pavilion, the water basins and numerous plant pots, which line the small paths — provided with red tadelakt — shine in the striking color. This ensemble is completed by a third dominant color, a strong shade of yellow, making the Jardin Majorelle one of the most photographed attractions of Marrakech.
More than 300 different plant species from all five continents of the world are represented in the Jardin Majorelle — in addition to the palm trees, the outstanding tall cacti impress above all. As soon as you enter the site, you become aware that you are in another world that has little to do with the hectic and dusty Marrakech beyond the walls. There is a pleasant microclimate here, which is characterized by the cooling shade of the countless plants. The many watercourses ensure mild temperatures and invite you to linger on one of the small benches along the way. The center of the garden is formed by a cobalt blue basin with a fountain in the center, where a couple of water turtles live.
If you search for pictures from Marrakech on Instagram, you will inevitably stumble upon the Jardin Majorelle. The 4000 m2 garden in blue yellow was once created by the French artist Jacques Majorelle. The painter did not go down in the history books because of his art, but precisely because of this botanical garden, which is so popular mainly due to the use of the unique cobalt blue. The blue, which also influenced the fashion of Yves Saint Laurent, is also called Majorelle blue.
The Jardin Majorelle is Marrakech’s historic botanical garden. The enchanting park was created in the twenties of the last century and was temporarily forgotten – until it was rediscovered and restored by the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner. Today, the park is a popular attraction in Marrakech with over 600,000 visitors a year.
The French painter Jacques Majorelle came from Nancy to Marrocco in 1919, which was a particularly popular destination for artists and intellectuals at the beginning of the 20th century. Already in 1924 he began to create a garden and had his house built. He was inspired by the palaces of Marrakech with their simple lines, the seductive gardens and water features. in 1931, he had the architect design the blue studio – the cobalt blue, in which he had the facades painted, is still called Majorelle blue today.
At the same time, he decided to create the botanical garden. He collected plants from all over the world to settle them here: bougainvillea, cacti, bamboo and water lilies, for example, surrounded by tall palm trees. From 1947, the Jardin Majorelle was open to the public. Jacques Majorelle left Marrakech in 1962 after a car accident and went back to France, where he died soon after. Today, his art is almost forgotten, while the botanical garden created by him preserves his memory.
Over the years, the Jardin Majorelle has become increasingly overgrown. True, all the exotic and sometimes rare plants continued to grow there, but the park fell into oblivion a little. in 1980, the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé discovered the idyll and bought the house and the botanical garden.
They gradually restored the gardens, so that the Jardin Majorelle is now a botanical jewel again. In order to ensure its continued existence in the future, Bergé founded a foundation that manages the botanical garden today. Yves Saint Laurent appreciated the park as a source of inspiration and a retreat. After his death in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the rose garden.
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