Mont Saint Michel and Giverney of Morocco

There are two sites that are reminiscent of sites in France. Ait Ben Haddou has been equated to Mont Saint Michel, and I am reminded of Monet's garden with Jacques Majorelle's Garden also known as Yves St. Laurent Garden in Marrakesh.

Ait ben Haddou is a kasbah or in this case also called a ksar (fortified village) on an outcropping next to the Wadi Mellah. It is reached by foot from the other side of the river very much like Saint Michel. It was purposely built close to a water source and isolated to protect itself from attack. Parts of it have undergone renovation while others are falling into ruin. It is a UNESCO site and most of those who were living inside have been moved across the river to the village. The remaining families will be moving soon.

It is filled with trinket shops as you wind your way up to the top just as Saint Michel is.

The Jacques Majorelle Garden is a newer site located in Marrakesh outside of the medina in the fashionable Guiles section. Jacques Majorelle was a French painter who received his education at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and traveled to Morocco around 1917 where he fell in love with the vibrant colors and light of Marrakesh. In 1923 he purchased a plot of land where he built a studio and began planting a luxurious garden. He tried to keep up the garden by opening it to the public but eventually had to give it up. It was to be sold to a developer when Yves St. Laurent who had been born in Algeria and had a fondness for Morocco purchased it, expanded it to include a large home and now it welcomes crowds on a daily basis.

Ait Ben Haddon seen from the river which is very low at this time of the year.

On the way up the path that leads to the top you can see how they are working to restore the buildings and the walkways.

You can see that some buildings have been left to collapse while others have been restored. They will be occupied by artisans and souvenirs shops.

While there are a few families left living in Ait Ben Haddou most of what you pass on your way to the top, just like St. Michelle is trinket shops.

It is easy to see how constant maintenance is required and the difficulty of maintaining daily life have encouraged all but a few families to relocate across the river.

Not original gate, created for an episode of "Game of Thrones". They left it intact.

If you are one of my students in ancient Art History, you probably remember the mud brick constructions in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Now you can see how fragile this material is and why it has to be restored every few years to survive.

The Yves St Laurent/Jacques Majorelle Gardens have definite affinities to Giverny, Monet's home and garden in France. This is a paradise of subject matter for a painter.

Entranceway to Yves St. Laurent's home where his ashes are also buried.