Mosque and University Kairaouine — Attraction in Fez

The University of Al Quaraouiyine in Fez is widely regarded as one of the oldest continuously operating educational institutions in human history. According to both UNESCO and the Guinness Book of World Records, it is recognized as the oldest existing and continually operating degree-granting university in the world. It was founded in 859 AD (245 AH) by a devout woman named Fatima Al-Fihri, who dedicated her entire inheritance to building a grand mosque in the city of Fez—then a thriving center of culture and knowledge. Over time, this mosque evolved into a prestigious institution of higher learning, attracting students from across the Islamic world and even from Europe, thanks to its diverse academic curriculum, which included not only Islamic studies but also medicine, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, music, and logic. Al Quaraouiyine thus became a global intellectual hub long before the founding of the great European universities. Throughout its illustrious history, the University has hosted some of the most prominent thinkers and scholars, such as Ibn Khaldun, Averroes (Ibn Rushd), Al-Idrisi, and Maimonides, and even Pope Sylvester II, who is believed to have studied there and introduced Arabic scientific knowledge to Europe. Al Quaraouiyine was also the first institution known to grant a structured academic degree known as an “Ijazah,” which required rigorous attendance, scholarly engagement, and formal assessment—precursors to the modern Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees. Architecturally, the University is housed in one of the most magnificent examples of Islamic-Andalusian design. Its vast prayer hall, ornate stucco work, calligraphy, and intricate geometric patterns reflect centuries of cultural and artistic sophistication. The University is also home to one of the oldest libraries in the Islamic world, the Al Quaraouiyine Library, which contains thousands of rare manuscripts, including hand-copied works by Ibn Sina, Averroes, and classical Qur’anic exegeses. The library was recently restored to preserve its priceless intellectual treasures. Today, despite the transformation of Morocco’s broader educational system, Al Quaraouiyine continues to operate as a center for traditional Islamic scholarship. It is currently overseen by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, and its current president is Dr. Amal Jalal. The university maintains its unique role in training scholars in Islamic sciences, jurisprudence, Qur’anic studies, and theology, while also embracing modern methodologies and academic governance. Thus, Al Quaraouiyine is not merely an educational institution—it is a symbol of Morocco’s cultural, spiritual, and intellectual heritage. For centuries, it has stood as a beacon of knowledge, rational inquiry, and intercultural dialogue, affirming Morocco’s position as a crossroads of civilizations and ideas. Reflecting on the legacy of Al Quaraouiyine today is more than an academic exercise—it is a call to revitalize traditional knowledge systems and to reaffirm the value of intellectual integrity, critical thinking, and cultural rootedness in the face of modern challenges. In this sense, the University of Al Quaraouiyine is not a relic of the past, but a living testament to the enduring power of knowledge and faith. It reminds us that the intellectual glory of Islamic civilization was—and can still be—founded on learning, tolerance, and openness. Reviving the spirit of this historic institution offers a strategic opportunity to rebuild a meaningful educational vision rooted in both authenticity and...

The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez continues to show its glory and grandeur and to attract crowds to perform prayer, assuming its spiritual and civilized function, after many centuries of its foundation. Before the call to prayer is called, hundreds of worshipers who are accustomed to performing the obligatory prayer in a space that is a symbol of the Kingdom’s religious symbols come to the mosque. Since its foundation in 859 AD, at the hands of Fatima al-Fihri, the Qarawiyyin Mosque has preserved its spiritual, devotional and scientific character, and its scholars, who were consulted by the sultans of Morocco in matters of religion and worldly affairs, were respected and appreciated, and they have always been a reference for the city’s residents in seeking advice, advice and sound guidance. . The Qarawiyyin Mosque is an important educational pole, a distinct civilizational edifice, and a center for indoctrination of scientific and religious knowledge. Since its inception, it has attracted a large group of scholars of the caliber of Ibn Rushd, Ibn Arabi, Ibn Baja, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Harzham, and Abd al-Salam Ibn Mishish. The mosque was built in the first stage on a small area, to benefit from the care given by the successive countries to rule Morocco. And the beating heart of the enemy of the villagers. The mosque has three internal doors and 14 external doors (Bab Al-Hafwa, Bab al-Shama’in, Bab al-Ward, Bab Ibn Omar, Bab Seven Lloyat…) that allow worshipers to enter and exit the mosque in comfort and tranquility without crowding. Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque is located in the center of the old city, where it can be reached easily from the “Rasif” square in no more than a 5-minute walk. The religious landmark is adjacent to a number of historical, religious and cultural landmarks of the city, such as the Misbahiya School, which was built in the fourteenth century AD, the Saffarin Square, and Caesarea al-Kifah. The Qarawiyyin Mosque, which was transformed into a university in a certain period of time, according to its supervisor, Imam Abdul Majeed Al-Mardi, is distinguished by its founding of the concept of a specialized scientific chair, as it became the first university in history to establish the concept of degrees, and it is the first university to discuss a degree in medicine. Abdel Majid al-Mardi said in a statement to the Maghreb Arab News Agency that the Qarawiyyin Mosque was founded during the Idrisid era, that is, during the era of the first Islamic state established in Morocco, and with the passage of time it turned into a university that taught different sciences in many specialized fields, and during the Marinid era, the number of specialized scientific chairs reached more than of 140 chairs. The imam added that the mosque received great attention in the era of the Alawites, who gave it special care and gave it a strong impetus and restored it to it, as the Qarawiyyin Mosque gained a great reputation and radiance. Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque is considered the first university in history, as it contributed to the advancement of thought and science, preserved the Arabic language and the values ​​of enlightened Islam, and contributed to fueling the...

The University of al-Qarawiyyin (Arabic: جامعة القرويين‎; Berber : ⵜⴰⵙⴷⴰⵡⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵇⴰⵕⴰⵡⵉⵢⵢⵉⵏ; French: Université Al Quaraouiyine), also written Al-Karaouine or Al Quaraouiyine, is a university located in Fez, Morocco. It was founded as a mosque by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 and subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the historic Muslim world. It was incorporated into Morocco's modern state university system in 1963 and was officially renamed "University of Al Quaraouiyine" two years later.1] The mosque building itself is also a significant complex of historical Moroccan and Islamic architecture encompassing elements from many different periods of Moroccan history.[5]Scholars consider that the Qarawiyyin was effectively run as a madrasa[67911] until after World War II and distinguish this status from the status of "university" (similar to how Christian seminaries are not classified as a university), which many view as a distinctly European invention.[12 They date the transformation of the madrasa of al-Qarawiyyin into a university to its modern reorganization in 1963.13] Some sources, however, such as UNESCO and the Guinness World Records cite the Qarawiyyin as the oldest university or oldest continually operating higher learning institution in the world.[14 Education at al-Qarawiyyin University concentrates on the Islamic religious and legal sciences with a heavy emphasis on, and particular strengths in, Classical Arabic grammar/linguistics and Maliki Sharia, although lessons on other non-Islamic subjects are also offered to students. Teaching is still delivered in the traditional methods.[16] Students are seated in a semi-circle (halqa) around a sheikh who prompts them to read certain texts, asks them questions, and explains difficult points to them. The university is attended by students from all over Morocco and Muslim West Africa, with some also coming from further abroad. Women were first admitted to the institution in the 1940's.[17] The Arabic name of the university, جَامِعَةُ الْقَرَوِيِّينَ pronounced [ʒaːmiʕtu lqarawijiːn] means "University of the People from Kairouan (القَيْرَوَان [alqajrawaːn])," the provenance of Fatima al-Fihriya's family in Tunisia .[18] The presence of the letter Qāf (ق), a voiceless uvular plosive which has no equivalent in European languages, as well as the ويّي ([awijiː]) triphthong in the university's name, in addition to the French colonization of Morocco, have introduced a number of different orthographies for the Romanization of the university's name, including al-Qarawiyyin, a standard anglicization; Al Quaraouiyine, following French orthography; and Al-Karaouine, another rendering using French...