Dar El Sadaka

Dar El Sadaka is one of the most extraordinary private homes in Morocco. Set in the Palmeraie, Marrakech's celebrated palm grove, it is the creation of French artist Jean-François Fourtou, who has spent more than two decades transforming a former fortified farm into a living work of art.

Wandering the estate feels like stepping into a dream. A giant sheep lounges by the pool, a giraffe stretches above the dining table and orangutans swing from the living-room lamps. In the sculpture park, a whole house appears to have tumbled from the sky and landed upside down, and there is even a giant's dining room. Each suite is themed around an animal sculpture, from camels and geese to tortoises and an Afghan hound.

Over the years the house has been an artists' residence, a base for a foundation supporting women and children and a meditation retreat. Interior designer Philippe Forrestier later reimagined it for guests, pairing earthen architecture and traditional craftsmanship with sleek modern furniture. Seven suites and two bedrooms, arranged around a mimosa-covered courtyard, sleep up to 20 guests.

The grounds include a pool, a tennis court, a spa with a traditional hammam, a yoga studio, an olive-hedge maze, an organic garden and beehives. A chef cooks Moroccan dishes with produce and honey from the estate, and a full team and concierge look after guests.

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