Located at the gates of the Medina, flanked by Mohammed V avenue on one side and the city walls on the other, this green space was envisioned in the 18th century by the son of the Alaouite Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, who lent his name to this idyllic spot.
Its past
Moulay Abdeslam was a poet, a writer, a diplomat, but above all a multidisciplinary scholar. His enthusiasm for garden design was merely the fruit of the Alaouite dynasty's legacy, well known for the value and aesthetics of their natural spaces. At the time, the Sultan's son had designed small plots of land where various crops, dates, olives, and fruits peacefully grew, which he used for his own consumption.
As human life expectancy is much shorter than that of an olive tree, the garden survived its creator. Then, centuries passed until the French protectorate era, when the legislation of the time decided to turn it into a public garden. Although the section designed by Moulay Abdeslam remained visible, the French made numerous modifications. They introduced a much more linear structure to the park, arranging olive trees, palms, bitter oranges, and conifers in neat rows.
Once the space was opened to the public, it quickly became a hub where the entire Medina came to find a bit of tranquility and greenery. Vendors even came to display their goods. Over the years, the garden lost its charm and gradually fell into neglect due to costly maintenance.
Its future
As a heritage marked by the various eras the city has undergone, it wasn't until February 2005 that the garden saw a rebirth. Initiated by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, the City Council, and the telecommunications company Maroc Telecom, the renovation of the garden lasted 17 months.
To once again belong to its time, it was necessary to update it, equipping it with wireless internet connection and stations for web access. Besides these major technological improvements, the rest of the renovations were carried out with a spirit of preserving heritage. Indeed, disrupting this ecosystem was out of the question. Only the plants that had gradually invaded the flower beds were removed.
Seeking the authenticity of bygone days, the section of the garden built by the Sultan's son regained all the nature he had intended for it, thanks to the planting of new fruit trees. The other section, designed under the auspices of the protectorate, was also rehabilitated as originally intended.
Much more rigorous than before, the linear arrangement and the wide botanical variety were respected. 18,000 square meters of paths were elevated, providing visitors with a more comprehensive and airy view of the location. Four ponds and an amphitheater with 80 seats were also constructed. To all this were added internet terminals scattered here and there, as well as the telecommunications museum created by Maroc Telecom.
A true oasis of greenery amidst the concrete, the Arsat Moulay Abdeslam garden, also known as cyber parc, was inaugurated on February 12, 2005, by Princess Lalla Hasna. Since that day, tourists and Marrakchis alike stroll the paths, delighting in the colorful vegetation and high-speed connection.