2024-07-20 13:29:46
These are the madrasas, these ancient Koranic schools that have played a central role in the dissemination of knowledge and learning throughout the centuries. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Fez is home to eleven of these educational establishments, silent witnesses to a rich intellectual and cultural past.
From the 13th century onwards, Fez became a centre of scholarship, attracting renowned scholars and thinkers such as Ibn Khaldoun, Pope Sylvester II and the Jewish philosopher Maimonides.
These brilliant minds helped make the city a melting pot of ideas and theories, where the most varied disciplines were taught and debated with passion.
Among the most famous madrasahs are Al Bou Inaniya, Al Sabaiyn, Al Misbahiya, Sahrij, Al Mohammadia and Seffarine, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Recently rehabilitated by the Fez Development and Rehabilitation Agency (ADER), these old schools have regained their former splendor and once again welcome students eager for knowledge.
The harmony of the lines and the richness of the decorations within these structures bear witness to the artistic apogee reached by Morocco at this time, rivaling the achievements of the Mashreq and Al Andalus.
The arrangement of the rooms around a central courtyard, typical of the architecture of madrasahs, recalls the famous schools of Cairo. This architectural model, combining aesthetics and functionality, allowed students to benefit from a setting conducive to the study of the foundations of religion, while offering them comfortable accommodation.
According to the history professor and president of the association of sociologist teachers of Fez, Abdelfettah Dobli Bennani, the madrasas played a primordial role under the reign of the Merinids, a prosperous period during which more than thirty-five of these educational establishments were created, including ten in the city of Fez alone.
Mr. Bennani emphasizes, in a statement to MAP, that this flowering of madrasas in Fez is not insignificant, the Idrissid city housing the prestigious Al Quaraouiyine University, a true beacon of knowledge attracting students from all backgrounds. Faced with this studious influx, the construction of new schools became essential to meet the needs in classrooms and student housing, making these madrasas the very first “university cities” in history.
But beyond this primary educational vocation, the madrasas also played a key role within the Marinid state by serving as frameworks for reflection on legal and religious questions, while training the future administrative and religious executives needed by the reigning dynasty.
Today, these venerable madrasas, having survived the ages with remarkable resilience, are harmoniously integrated into the heritage fabric of the medina of Fez.
They are a major attraction for tourists in search of authenticity and beauty, but also a living link with a rich intellectual and cultural past. Thanks to the efforts of preservation and enhancement, these architectural jewels will continue to shine, eternal witnesses of the scientific and artistic heritage, so rich, of the Idrisid city.
2024-07-20 13:29:46