School for the Faithful

Tucked inside the Marrakech medina is the Ben Youssef Medersa which a 16th-century Koranic school. At one point, it was the largest Islamic school in North Africa. It is now a museum. The school was originally built in the 14th century only to be rebuilt some 200 years later. As many as 900 students from Muslim countries all over the world reportedly once studied at the Ben Youssef Medersa with all of them cramming into the 132 rooms arranged around the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a tiled water basin which is the subject of this photograph. Click on the picture to see a more detailed view.















The Ben Youssef Medersa is a place of serenity, reflection and comfort. The intricacy of the building is amazing but what really strikes you when you are there is the calmness you feel in a fast-paced city like Marrakech.

For my several other Morocco posts on this blog, you can click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, or here.