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Welcome to Medersa Ben Youssef

The Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef, better known as the Koranic School, was built in 1565 under the command of Sultan Abdellah Al Ghalib, the Saadian dysnatie. Throughout this period, the monument housed Moroccan students from various theological and other backgrounds. The Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef welcomed more than 900 students, including more than 100 foreigners. Composed of a basin and a prayer room, the Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef was richly decorated: floral motifs, marble work, cedar decorations, etc. that can still be admired today. The Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef was restored during the 1950s but has kept all its splendour…. It is impossible to forget that the Moroccan rulers have made it the most recognized Koranic school in the whole Maghreb.

Right in the heart of the medina, the Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef, one of the biggest medersas in the Maghreb, is one of the most remarkable historical monuments in Marrakesh and is worth a visit. The Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef was built in the 16th century by the saadian abd allah al ghalib, which is confirmed by the inscriptions on the lintel of the entrance gate and on the capitals of the prayer room. Created on a 1,680-sq.m quadrilateral plan, the Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef used to accommodate 130 students rooms over two floors around an interior patio leading to the prayer room.

Historically, Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef have served as a center for learning, worship and community interaction. In addition to teaching Quran and Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic schools often taught a wide variety of subjects, including literature, science and history. The Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef, in fulfilling these functions, was also one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa, reportedly able to accommodate upwards of 800 students. Closed down in 1960, the Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef was refurbished and reopened to the public as a historical site in 1982. The Marrakech Medersa Ben Youssef currently attracts thousands of tourists every year and remains one of the most important historical buildings in Marrakesh.