Today, we explored Marrakech, visiting places in and around the medina, but we started the day at the Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam.
We woke up around 7 am this morning, and after a shower, we went into the courtyard of our Riad for breakfast. Once we had eaten breakfast, we got a taxi to take us to the Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam. It wasn't a long way away, but we didn't want to be late for our entry period, and we would have been if we had got lost in the medina.
Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam.
About the Majorelle Garden.
The Majorelle Garden is a two-acre botanical garden and an artist's landscape garden. It was created by the French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle over almost forty years, starting in 1923, and features a Cubist villa designed by French architect Paul Sinoir in the 1930s. The property was the residence of the artist and his wife from 1923 until their divorce in the 1950s.
In the 1980s, the property was purchased by the fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who worked to restore it. Today, the garden and villa complex is open to the public.
Our visit to the Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam.
We had already purchased tickets to the Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam. I knew that the official website was the only place you could buy them and that they limited entry to the gardens to a limited number of people per hour while it was open. The gardens opened at 8 am, and I had tickets to enter at 8:30 am. The taxi driver dropped us off at the end of the street from the entrance, and we walked a short distance to the entrance. I showed the security people at the gate our ticket, and we entered the gardens at about 8:30 am. I was surprised by how many security people were at the entrance and walking around the garden. Still, they were accommodating, pointing us in the right direction as we explored the gardens and memorial.
I loved the gardens and would love a big property with enough land to build something similar. I wasn't a fan of the artwork in the Yves Saint Laurent museum. It looked like something a kid would do, but Lisa seemed to like it.
Majorelle Garden Photos.
These photos are all from the Majorelle Gardens and Yves Saint Laurent museum in Marrakech. Click on any image to see a larger version and a description of the photo.
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Fountain in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco, seen between giant cacti..
Fountain in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Cacti in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
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This cactus in the Jardin Majorelle, was so large that people had been able to carve their names into it.
Cactus with signatures carved in it.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Bird sitting next to a fountain in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Bird sitting next to a fountain in the Jardin Majorelle.
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Alan Morris in the cacti garden at the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, Morocco.
Alan Morris in the cacti garden at the Jardin Majorelle.
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Koi carp pond in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Koi carp pond in the Jardin Majorelle.
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Alan Morris in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Alan Morris in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Lisa Biles in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Lisa Biles in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Alan Morris in the Cactus garden in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Alan Morris in the Cactus garden in the Jardin Majorelle
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Alan Morris in the Cactus garden in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Alan Morris in the Cactus garden in the Jardin Majorelle.
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Lisa Biles in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Lisa Biles in the Jardin Majorelle.
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Water flowing through the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Water flowing through the Jardin Majorelle.
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Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Flowers in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Alan Morris in the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco.
Alan Morris in the Jardin Majorelle.
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The path going through the Jardin Majorelle.
Path going through the Jardin Majorelle.
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Pond covered in Lillie leaves in the Jardin Majorelle.
Pond covered in Lillie leaves in the Jardin Majorelle.
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Lisa Biles by the Yves Saint Laurent museum in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lisa Biles by the Yves Saint Laurent museum in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Lisa Biles next to paintings by Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lisa Biles next to paintings by Yves Saint Laurent
Visiting the Marrakech medina.
What is a medina?
A medina is a historical district in many North African cities, often corresponding to an old walled city. The term comes from the Arabic word meaning "city" or "town."
Exploring the Marrakech medina.
When we left the Jardin Majorelle, we looked on Google to see the general direction of the medina and started walking towards it. We walked past many horse-drawn carriages parked up in a layby alongside the main road, and many drivers offered to take us to every place in the medina for a fee. We declined their offers and continued walking towards the medina. We soon crossed the main road from the medina, and seeing what we thought was a large market, we walked towards it. As we walked in, we realised it was not a market but a large car park for taxi drivers. All the taxis were lined up under cover, and as soon as we walked in, we were asked if we wanted a ride. We again declined the offers and walked out in the direction of the Medina walls, which we could see.
We soon walked through the walls and into the medina's narrow streets. We stopped at a cafe on the side of the road to have mint tea and share a Moroccan biscuit. We sat chatting for a while, and once we had finished, we walked through the narrow alleys towards the centre of the medina. We walked through many different souks as we explored deeper into the Medina, some sold clothing, others tin items, others food, and many sold tourist tat. We continued to explore and eventually stopped at a Craftswoman Centre to get something to eat.
The courtyard was lovely and very tranquil, and we sat down and looked through a menu. We both decided to have a tagine and thought we would try two different ones, so that we could try both. Unfortunately, they were no longer available. When I looked at the time, it was 7:30 pm, so we ordered different food. I had a panini, and Lisa had some couscous. The food was very nice, and after resting for a while, we continued exploring.
We walked through more of the medina but had trouble finding where we were. We eventually came out on a main road from which we could see the Kutubiyya Mosque. The Kutubiyya Mosque is the largest in Marrakesh. It is located in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, near the Jemaa el-Fnaa souks, and is flanked by extensive gardens.
The mosque was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids. A second version of the mosque was entirely rebuilt by Abd al-Mu'min around 1158, with Ya'qub al-Mansur possibly finalising the construction of the minaret around 1195. This second mosque is the structure that stands today.
We sat outside a small cafe called Bistro Laksour. By now, my legs were aching and very swollen. I had to sit down to rest my legs, and we sat there for quite a while, watching the world pass us by. There was a car parked opposite us with a gap between it and the car in front of it just large enough to get another car in. While we watched, we saw at least three other cars reverse into the gap, hitting the cars already there every time. Nobody seemed to care, and the cars left without looking at or leaving a note on the car they hit. It was a lovely cafe, and we decided that if we could find it again, we would come again.
We left around 9 pm and continued through the medina, eventually finding our way back to the Riad and falling asleep within minutes of getting back.
Marrakech Medina Photos.
These photos are all from the Medina in Marrakech when I visited in 2024. Click on any image to see a larger version and a description of the photo.
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Horses and buggies waiting in line to take tourists on a ride. These were parked close to the Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam.
Horses and buggies waiting in line to take tourists on a ride.
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Horses and buggies waiting in line to take tourists on a ride. These were parked close to the Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent Memoriam.
Horses and buggies waiting in line to take tourists on a ride.
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Market stalls outside the Medina, Marrakech, Morocco.
Market stalls outside the Medina, Marrakech, Morocco.
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Horse tied up to a post inside the medina walls, Marrakech, Morocco.
Horse tied up to a post inside the medina walls, Marrakech, Morocco.
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These buildings in the medina in Marrakech, looked as if they were being supported by steel girders, possibly after an earthquake.
Buildings in the medina in Marrakech, supported by steel girders.
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A busy lane in the medina of Marrakech with lots of people buying and selling goods.
A busy lane in the medina of Marrakech
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We tried these biscuits, but they were a bit dry for me. They were possibly made with semolina.
Biscuits in a Marrakech shop.
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Alan Morris sat at a table in the road outside this shop in the medina of Marrakech. We tried the mint tea and biscuits here.
Alan Morris sat at a table in the road outside this shop in the medina of Marrakech.
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These buildings in the medina in Marrakech looked as if they were being supported by steel girders, possibly after an earthquake.
Medina in Marrakech.
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These buildings in the medina in Marrakech looked as if they were being supported by steel girders, possibly after an earthquake.
Lane in the medina in Marrakech.
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Lady buying biscuits or bread at a shop in the medina at Marrakech.
Lady buying biscuits or bread at a shop.
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Mint tea at a shop in the medina, Marrakech.
Mint tea at a shop in the medina, Marrakech.
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One of the many lanes in the medina in Marrakech. This was surprisingly empty.
Lanes in the medina in Marrakech
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Busy market stalls in the medina of Marrakech. These were selling cloth and clothes.
Busy market stalls in the medina of Marrakech.
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Spices for sale on a stall in the medina in Marrakech.
Spices for sale on a stall in the medina in Marrakech.
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Man working on something outside his shop in the medina, Marrakech.
Man working on something outside his shop in the medina, Marrakech.
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Beautifully tiled, decorated arch and room over an alley in the medina of Marrakech.
Beautifully tiled, decorated arch and room.
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A road going through the medina of Marrakech.
A road going through the medina of Marrakech.
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A road going through the medina of Marrakech. We sat here at a cafe drinking tea and watching the world go by.
A road going through the medina of Marrakech.
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The Kutubiyya Mosque rising above the buildings in the medina in Marrakech.
The Kutubiyya Mosque rising above the buildings in the medina in Marrakech.
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One of the many wild kittens we saw in the alleys and streets of the medina in Marrakech.
Wild kitten in the medina in Marrakech.
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Alan Morris in front of the Almoravid Koubba in the medina of Marrakech.
Alan Morris in front of the Almoravid Koubba in the medina of Marrakech.
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A clown bronze in a courtyard outside the Museum of Marrakech in the medina of Marrakech.
A clown bronze in a courtyard outside the Museum of Marrakech.
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Beautiful archway in a street near the Museum of Marrakech in the Marrakech medina.
Beautiful archway in a street near the Museum of Marrakech.
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Stall in the Spice Plaza selling hats and bags. We stopped opposite for some more mint tea.
Stall in the Spice Plaza selling hats and bags.
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The Kutubiyya Mosque near the Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace in Marrakech.
Kutubiyya Mosque near the Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace in Marrakech
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Lisa Biles walking in the Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace, in the background is the Kutubiyya Mosque. At the side are rows of horses and buggies ready to take tourist for a ride.
Lisa Biles walking in the Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace.
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Busy road outside the Academy of National Education in Marrakech.
Busy road outside the Academy of National Education in Marrakech.
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Horse and buggie taking people for a ride in Marrakech near the Academy of National Education in Marrakech.
Horse and buggie taking people for a ride in Marrakech.
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Beef and vegetable tagine in Marrakech. These were beautiful, and because we were one street from the main marketplace where tourists go, they were half the price of similar in the square.
Beef and vegetable tagine in Marrakech.
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Lisa Biles walking in the medina near to where we stayed in Marrakech.
Lisa Biles walking in the medina, Marrakech.
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We were sat on the street at this tiny cafe having coffee in the medina in Marrakech. I loved watching the people and traffic go by but it did get very close at times.
Street outside a tiny cafe in the medina in Marrakech.
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Medina in Marrakech. This archway led to the Zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes religious complex, next to the riad we were staying in.
Medina in Marrakech, archway leading to the Zawiya of Sidi Bel Abbes religious complex
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This is the corner we often sat in the medina in Marrakech. We sat watching the world go by and drank mint tea.
Street corner in the medina of Marrakech.
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Donkey pulling a barrow with concrete in it. The local builders used these to carry stuff in the small alleyways in the medina in Marrakech.
Donkey pulling a barrow with concrete in it.
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Alan Morris sat at a cafe in the medina in Marrakech.
Alan Morris sat at a cafe in the medina in Marrakech.
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Stalls in the Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech.
Stalls in the Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech.
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Spices outside a shop in Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech.
Spices outside a shop in Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech.
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Chickens in a basket on the back of a man's bike in the medina, Marrakech.
Chickens in a basket on the back of a man's bike.