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.
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
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in Morocco on properazzi.com click here
Lifestyles of the jet set - sounds like the life for me.
Duane Nason, London,