Sidi Yakoub Garden (Mohamed V Garden) — Blida
Sidi Yakoub Garden (also known as Mohamed V Garden) is a historic garden surrounding the marabout of Sidi Yacoub in Blida. Rooted in centuries-old legend, the park features ancient olive trees said to have grown from tent stakes planted by the saint himself during a pilgrimage.
3 November 2025
Overview
Sidi Yakoub Garden — also known as Mohamed V Garden — is a historic public garden in Blida, built around the marabout (shrine) of Sidi Yacoub. It is one of the city's most storied green spaces, combining natural beauty with deep spiritual and historical significance.
The Legend of Marabout Sidi Yacoub
Originally from Marrakech, the holy Marabout Sidi Yacoub, during a pilgrimage to Mecca, made an agreement with Sidi Ahmed El Kebir — the Marabout of Blida — to stop along the banks of the Oued El Kebir. There, he set up his tents on a meadow overlooking the river.
On his return from the holy places, as he approached Blida, he sent two scouts ahead to locate the spot where the camp had been pitched on the outward journey. The scouts returned with astonishing news: a forest of olive trees had grown where the tents once stood. During the first journey, the tents had been secured with stakes made from wild olive branches, which, over the years, had taken root and grown into trees.
Three centuries later, the arrangement of the olive trees still seems to lend some truth to the legend.
The Garden Today
The garden surrounds the marabout and its ancient olive grove, offering a tranquil space for residents of Blida and visitors alike. The site blends the sacred and the natural — the olive trees that form its heart are said to be among the oldest in the region, living monuments to the saint's passage through Blida.