Le Jardin Secret

Behind this door hides one of the most peaceful corners of the medina: Le Jardin Secret, opened to the public in 2016 after a long restoration.

1Four centuries of history

According to the site's own history, a Saadian residence was built here in the late 16th century, when Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib developed the Mouassine district. That palace disappeared at the end of the 17th century.

In the mid-19th century, the caid al-Hajj Abdallah U-Bihi built a new palace here, respecting the old layout. According to the story told by Le Jardin Secret itself, the caid fell out of favour with the sultan and died after drinking poisoned tea. The house later passed to the qadi Moulay Mustapha and, in 1912, to al-Hajj Mohammed Loukrissi, the sultan's chamberlain, who lived here until his death in 1934. After that, the complex fell into decline.

2Two gardens

The restoration, privately funded, entrusted the gardens to the British landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith. There are two: an Islamic garden, divided into four parts by water channels, and an exotic garden, with plants from several continents. Both remind you that in the medina, luxury wasn't on the façade but inside.

In a city of blank walls, gardens were the real treasure.

3What to look for

• The tower rising above the walls.
• The doorway on Rue Mouassine.
• The water channels of the Islamic garden, if you go in.