Majorelle

Majorelle refers to a French painter and to the associated garden he created in Marrakech, Morocco. Jacques Majorelle (1886–1962) was a decorative painter who settled in North Africa. He established the Jardin Majorelle in the 1920s and 1930s, an intensive botanical garden later characterized by its intense cobalt blue walls and buildings, a shade commonly called Majorelle Blue.

The garden covers several hectares and houses a collection of plants from arid zones around the world, including cacti, bougainvillea, palm trees, bamboo, and water features with pools and streams. Architectural elements blend Art Deco, Islamic, and traditional Moroccan influences. Within the site is the Berber Museum, opened in the 1990s, which presents traditional Berber art and cultural artifacts, and serves as a key cultural component of the garden.

In 1980 the garden was purchased by fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. They funded a restoration that preserved the landscape and expanded the plant collection; the site was opened to the public and later became the foundation-run Jardin Majorelle. After Saint Laurent's death in 2008, the garden continued to operate as a public cultural site and major Marrakech attraction, managed by the Fondation Jardin Majorelle.

Majorelle remains notable for its distinctive blue color, often used on walls, doors, and planters, and for its combination of horticulture and architecture, attracting visitors and researchers interested in botany, design, and Moroccan cultural heritage.