Ben Youssef Medersa

For 400 years, students came from across the Islamic world to study theology here. At its height, 900 scholars lived in the 130 cells surrounding the courtyard — a city within the city, dedicated to the Quran and Islamic law. The Marinid sultan Abu al-Hassan built the original medersa in the 14th century. The Saadians rebuilt it in the 16th century, making it the largest theological college in Morocco. The students are gone now — the last ones left in 1960 — but the architecture remains: a textbook in carved cedar, stucco, and zellige. The courtyard pool reflects the sky. Around it, every surface is worked — geometric patterns climbing toward Quranic inscriptions in flowing script. The student cells above are deliberately plain: bare rooms with small windows, designed for prayer and study. The contrast is the point. Best time: Early morning or late afternoon Allow: 1 hour Combine with: Qubba Almoravide (next door) and Maison de la Photographie