Ben Youssef Madrasa

The Ben Youssef Medersa was the largest Islamic college in Morocco and one of the largest in North Africa. At its peak, it housed up to 900 students in 130 dormitory cells arranged around a central courtyard.

The medersa was founded in the 14th century under the Marinid dynasty, but the building you see today dates from a complete reconstruction in 1564–1565 under the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib. It is named after the Almoravid sultan Ali ibn Youssef, who built the adjacent mosque in the 12th century.

For nearly 400 years, students came from across the Maghreb to study Islamic theology, law, grammar, rhetoric, logic, and mathematics. The curriculum was rigorous. Students lived in tiny cells — some no larger than 2 metres by 1.5 metres — for years at a time, studying by candlelight.

The medersa remained a functioning theological college until 1960. It was then closed and underwent a decade-long restoration before opening as a historical monument. A major renovation completed in 2022 restored much of the carved plaster, zellige tilework, and cedarwood to its original condition.

Allow 45–60 minutes. The medersa is compact but dense — every surface rewards close attention.

Start in the courtyard. Let your eyes adjust to the layering: zellige at ground level, carved stucco above, cedarwood at the top, sky overhead. Then explore the ground-floor galleries, the prayer hall, and climb to the upper floors to see the student cells.

The cells are the most atmospheric element. Step inside one and imagine: years of study in a room smaller than a modern bathroom. Some cells have windows; many don't.

After the 2022 restoration, the carved surfaces are crisper and more colourful than they have been in decades. The zellige in particular is vivid.

Photography is permitted. The best shot is from the upper gallery looking down into the courtyard — the geometry of the marble basin framed by the decorated walls.

Combine with the Almoravid Koubba (50 metres away) — the only surviving Almoravid structure in Marrakech, dating to 1117 — and the Marrakech Museum next door.