Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque

Founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri, a woman from Kairouan, Al-Qarawiyyin is the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Before Oxford, before Bologna, before the Sorbonne — scholars came here to study theology, law, astronomy, and mathematics. The mosque-university complex covers nearly 16,000 square meters. Non-Muslims cannot enter, but the doors are often open, offering glimpses of the courtyard — marble floors, carved stucco, the green-tiled roofs that mark religious buildings throughout Morocco. From the surrounding streets, you can see pieces: a corner of the minaret, the bronze doors commissioned by patrons over centuries, the library where some of the world's oldest manuscripts are held. The building is undergoing restoration, including the library, which will eventually open to visitors. Best time: Morning (doors more likely to be open) Allow: 30 minutes (exterior only) Combine with: Bou Inania Medersa and Attarine Medersa