AS SILENTLY as the desert breeze, properties of a rare and exotic provenance are stealing on to the market in Morocco. Villa by sumptuous villa, the old-established foreign community in Marrakesh is selling its legendary houses; those with a taste for the Arabic-style architecture of Andalucia can find the real thing here. These opulent homes, a fusion of European and Moorish architecture, were built or restored in the mid 20th century when Morocco was discovered by the international jet set.

The trend began a few years ago, when Sir Richard Branson bought a castle near Asni, in the Atlas foothills, complete with a warehouse of treasures from Africa and the East, from the Italian-born antique dealer Luciano Tempo. He made it into an hotel, the Kasbah Tamadot, that perches on a red crag above an infinity pool offering glorious views over the mountains. Now more and more sumptuous piles in prime locations are changing hands, including Bled Targui, owned by Princess Henrietta von Auersperg, and Le Verger de l’Etoile Filante (Orchard of the Shooting Star), which belongs to Frederick Vreeland, the former United States Ambassador and son of Diana Vreeland, the famed fashion-setter and Editor of Vogue.

Both are spacious pleasure domes set among exquisite gardens – like those enjoyed by such expatriate lovers of Morocco as Yves St Laurent, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, John Paul Getty and Rudolph Nureyev. Besides Richard Branson and his sister Vanessa, modern Morocco lovers include Jasper Conran, Ralph Lauren and the London chefs Sam and Sam Clark of Moro. The £20 million remake of Brideshead Revisited, with some Morocco location scenes, will add yet more energy to the country’s popularity with tourists and home-seekers.

Architecturally, the houses combine the best of European refinement, American comfort and Moorish culture. The name Bled Targui means “the Touareg’s hamlet” after the Saharan nomads, also called the Blue Men. The land was given to the princess’s family in the 1970s by King Hassan II. The miniature palace, priced at €5.5 million (£3.36 million), is pink-walled in the Moorish style. The design entices visitors towards the four main reception rooms that flow harmoniously into each other, their sofas grouped around fireplaces in winter or shaded by cascades of bougainvillaea on the terraces in summer. The cool, spacious layout includes a four-room master suite, eight guest bedrooms, six bathrooms, kitchens and staff flats. On the roof is a traditional dining terrace, known as a minzah. Here, in the cool of the evening, meals are served on low tables while the diners watch the moon rise over the palm trees. In updating the house, the new owner might consider the ultimate modern refinement of this custom, a computerised humidifying system that cools the evening air by releasing a mist of water vapour.

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Whereas Moorish houses block the sun with thick walls and carved shutters, Bled Targui opens itself to its exquisite gardens. Its two hectares (five acres) contain soaring palms and majestic cypresses creating shade for the roses, hibiscus hedges and sweeping lawns below. Thirty years of devoted clipping, weeding and watering have created a miniature paradise in which are concealed a swimming pool, water gardens, pergolas and a tented pavilion. The enclave is a haven for birds, including the jewel-like African finches that chatter softly from the creepers and the family of peacocks that patrol the lawns.

A grove of lemon trees in a 2½hectare spread surrounds Le Verger de L’Etoile Filante, which is priced at €3.5 million. It lies in the heart of the Palmeraie, the district known as the Beverly Hills of Marrakesh. Here the style blends American minimalism with Moorish splendour and the dominant colour is the old-rose pink that echoes the bleached-out shades of the kasbah walls. Again, the house opens itself to nature, drawing cool air through interlinked cloisters, terraces and a colonnaded corridor. Inside, the decor blends Moroccan, Asian and European influences with multilevel salons, Balinese doors, Italian terracotta tiles, exquisite local carpets and a personal collection of antiques. Hidden in the garden is a tennis court and an entire miniature villa for guests, called La Maison de Poupée, or the Doll’s House. Once more, the architect’s use of space has been prodigal, with eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a service suite and staff apartments in the complex.

It is a tradition of property ownership in Morocco that the new owners of a home take over its staff, and in the case of both these villas that would mean inheriting a dedicated team of chef, housekeeper, maids, gardeners and a door-man, all of whom have laboured faithfully to keep the properties in perfect order.

For details, contact Xenia Folkes at Alexander Associates Property Search: 020-7016 6767

To get the full lowdown on property and prices in Morocco, go to timesonline.co.uk/moroccoproperty

To search for properties in Morocco on propertyfinder.com click here

To find properties for sale in Morocco on properazzi.com click here

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