History University of Al Quaraouiyine

interior of al quaraouiyine university.

al quaraouiyine founded associated madrasa, in 859 fatima al-fihri, daughter of wealthy merchant named mohammed al-fihri. al-fihri family had migrated kairouan (hence name of mosque), tunisia fes in 9th century, joining community of other migrants kairouan had settled in western district of city. fatima , sister mariam, both of whom educated, inherited large amount of money father. fatima vowed spend entire inheritance on construction of mosque suitable community. @ time, city of fes capital of idrisid dynasty.

in sources, medieval madrasa described university in 1 rough guide book vying al-azhar in cairo title of world s oldest university .

some scholars, noting parallels between such madrasas , european medieval universities, have proposed latter may have been influenced madrasas of islamic spain , emirate of sicily. other scholars have questioned this, citing lack of evidence actual transmission islamic world christian europe , highlighting differences in structure, methodologies, procedures, curricula , legal status of islamic college (madrasa) versus european university.

al quaraouiyine gained patronage of politically powerful sultans. compiled large selection of manuscripts kept @ library founded marinid sultan abu inan faris in 1349. among precious manuscripts housed in library volumes famous al-muwatta of malik written on gazelle parchment, sirat ibn ishaq, copy of qur given sultan ahmad al-mansur in 1602, , original copy of ibn khaldun s book al- ibar. among subjects taught, alongside qur , fiqh (islamic jurisprudence), grammar, rhetoric, logic, medicine, mathematics, astronomy.

the twelfth century cartographer mohammed al-idrisi, maps aided european exploration in renaissance said have lived in fes time, suggesting may have worked or studied @ al quaraouiyine. madrasa has produced numerous scholars have influenced intellectual , academic history of muslim world. among these ibn rushayd al-sabti (d. 1321), mohammed ibn al-hajj al-abdari al-fasi (d. 1336), abu imran al-fasi (d. 1015), leading theorist of maliki school of islamic jurisprudence, leo africanus, renowned traveler , writer. pioneer scholars such al-idrissi (d.1166 ad), ibn al-arabi (1165-1240 ad), ibn khaldun (1332-1395 ad), ibn al-khatib, al-bitruji (alpetragius), ibn hirzihim, , al-wazzan connected madrasa either students or lecturers. among christian scholars visiting al quaraouiyine belgian nicolas cleynaerts , dutchman golius , pope sylvester ii.

state university

karaouine mosque , university.

at time morocco became french protectorate in 1912, al quaraouiyine had witnessed decline religious center of learning medieval prime. however, had retained significance educational venue sultan s administration. student body rigidly divided along social strata; ethnicity (arab or berber), social status, personal wealth , geographic background (rural or urban) determined group membership of students segregated on teaching facility in personal quarters. french administration implemented number of structural reforms between 1914 , 1947, did not modernize contents of teaching likewise still dominated traditional worldviews of ulama. @ same time, student numbers @ al quaraouiyine dwindled total of 300 in 1922 moroccan elite began send children instead new-found western-style colleges , institutes elsewhere in country.

in 1947, al quaraouiyine integrated state educational system, royal decree after independence, in 1963, madrasa transformed university under supervision of ministry of education. old madrasa shut down , new campus established @ former french army barracks. while dean took seat @ fez, 4 faculties founded in , outside city: faculty of islamic law in fez, faculty of arab studies in marrakech , faculty of theology in tétouan, plus 1 near agadir in 1979. modern curricula , textbooks introduced , professional training of teachers improved. following reforms, al quaraouiyine officially renamed university of al quaraouiyine in 1965.

in 1975, general studies transferred newly founded sidi mohamed ben abdellah university; al quaraouiyine kept islamic , theological courses of studies.

in 1988, after hiatus of 3 decades, teaching of traditional islamic education @ madrasa of al quaraouiyine resumed king hassan ii in has been interpreted move bolster conservative support monarchy.

according unesco, , number of other scholars, al quaraouiyine considered have been university since founding , therefore oldest university in world. according yahya pallavicini, university model did not spread in europe until 12th century, , found throughout muslim world founding of al quaraouiyine in 9th century until @ least european colonialism. according encyclopædia britannica, universities had existed in parts of asia , africa prior founding of first medieval european universities.

a number of other scholars, however, consider medieval university (from latin universitas) institution unique christian europe, arguing first universities located in western europe paris , bologna cited earliest examples. several scholars consider al quaraouiyine founded , run madrasa (arabic: مدرسة‎) until after world war ii. consider institutions al quaraouiyine higher education colleges of islamic law other subjects of secondary importance. consider university adopted outside west, including islamic world, in course of modernization programmes since beginning of 19th century. date transformation of madrasa of al quaraouiyine university modern reorganization in 1963. in wake of these reforms, al quaraouiyine officially renamed university of al quaraouiyine 2 years later.