Ben Youssef Medersa

A koranic theological college, the Medersa is often labelled the most beautiful building in Marrakech - quite an accolade.

TravelCurious Tip

Watch your step in the passages and rooms in the upper level, which can be very dark: students would study by dim candlelight and emerge into the sun of the courtyard, symbolising the light of new knowledge.

Seat of learning

Ben Youssef Medersa was founded in the 14th century, and completed as we currently see it around 200 years later. Its entrance bears the inscription ‘You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded,’ which could apply as much to its architecture as to the studies of its koranic pupils: it is a truly beautiful place, and a work of devotional art in itself.

Ben Youssef comprises a central courtyard surrounded by 132 dormitory cells, which may have held up to 900 pupils in the school’s heyday - it was one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa. Although it was renovated in the 19th century, it gradually lost students to Medersa Bou Inania in Fez and was closed down in 1960, before being opened to the public in 1982.


Glory of God

Today, the building makes a wonderful stop on a visit to the Medina, offering a peaceful sanctuary away from the chaos of the souks.

The courtyard is richly carved in cedarwood, marble and stucco. It features wooden latticework balconies, five-colour mosaic walls, cedar windows with carved vines and a carrara marble mihrab (a prayer niche that faces towards Mecca). Its intricate inscriptions and geometric patterns reflect the majesty of Allah in intricate Moorish style: even the most secular of visitors cannot fail to be moved.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Marrakech
The Medina
Enclosed by ancient walls, the oldest quarter of the city is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Souks
A labyrinth of spices, food and eye-catching goods, these bustling markets are the colourful essence of Morocco.
The Almoravid Koubba
Just south of the Ben Youssef Mosque, this small shrine is the oldest monument in Marrakech.
Tagine
Tagine is a traditional North African Berber dish, named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked.
Tangia
A Moroccan speciality, the meat and spices in tangia are traditionally slow-cooked for hours in a public oven.
Communal Bread Ovens
Most homes in the medina don’t have the luxury of an oven, so bread is baked communally instead.

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