Botanical Garden

Rabat, Morocco, Morocco

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The Botanical Garden of Rabat, officially called the Jardin d'Essais Botaniques (Botanical Trial Garden), is Rabat's largest public garden and a national heritage site located in the Agdal district along Avenue la Victoire in Morocco's capital. Established between 1914 and 1919 by renowned French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier through a partnership between Sultan Moulay Hafid and the French Protectorate, the 17-hectare garden originally served as a test and acclimatization garden for fruit and ornamental trees from around the world. Today it houses more than 600 plant species and over 1,000 varieties, including rare tropical, subtropical, and succulent species, making it a blueprint for botanical gardens in Marrakech and Meknes. The garden is divided by a road into two sections: the western area features a traditional Moorish garden with a museum, symmetrical paths, and ponds, while the eastern part displays formal botanical collections and an arboretum. Classified as national heritage in 1992 and situated within Rabat's UNESCO World Heritage zone, the garden underwent extensive renovations after years of neglect and reopened to the public in 2013 under King Morocco's patronage, while maintaining both Moroccan and French gardening traditions in its design. v