Ben Youssef Madrasa (Marrakech, Morocco)
The Ben Youssef Madrasa, located to the north of the Medina, was an Islamic college in Marrakech named after the Almoravid sultan Ali ibn Yusuf (1106–1142) who expanded the city and its influence considerably. It is the largest Madrasa in all of Morocco and was one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa, at one time housing as many as 900 students.
The college, which was affiliated with the neighbouring Ben Youssef Mosque, was founded during the Marinid dynasty in the 14th century by Sultan Abu al-Hassan.
This education complex specialized in Koranic law and was linked to similar institutions in Fès, Taza, Tale, and Meknès. The Madrasa was re-constructed by the Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib (1557–1574) in 1564 as the largest and most prestigious madrasa in Morocco. The construction ordered by Abdallah al-Ghalib was completed in 1565 as attested by the inscription in the prayer room. Its 130 student dormitory cells cluster around a courtyard richly carved in cedar, marble and stucco. In accordance with Islam, the carvings contain no representation of humans or animals, consisting entirely of inscriptions and geometric patterns. One of the school's best known teachers was Mohammed al-Ifrani (1670-1745). After a temporary closure beginning in 1960, the building was refurbished and reopened to the public as a historical site in 1982.
Ben Youssef Madrasa (Marrakech, Morocco)
The Ben Youssef Madrasa, located to the north of the Medina, was an Islamic college in Marrakech named after the Almoravid sultan Ali ibn Yusuf (1106–1142) who expanded the city and its influence considerably. It is the largest Madrasa in all of Morocco and was one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa, at one time housing as many as 900 students.
The college, which was affiliated with the neighbouring Ben Youssef Mosque, was founded during the Marinid dynasty in the 14th century by Sultan Abu al-Hassan.
This education complex specialized in Koranic law and was linked to similar institutions in Fès, Taza, Tale, and Meknès. The Madrasa was re-constructed by the Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib (1557–1574) in 1564 as the largest and most prestigious madrasa in Morocco. The construction ordered by Abdallah al-Ghalib was completed in 1565 as attested by the inscription in the prayer room. Its 130 student dormitory cells cluster around a courtyard richly carved in cedar, marble and stucco. In accordance with Islam, the carvings contain no representation of humans or animals, consisting entirely of inscriptions and geometric patterns. One of the school's best known teachers was Mohammed al-Ifrani (1670-1745). After a temporary closure beginning in 1960, the building was refurbished and reopened to the public as a historical site in 1982.