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Mesbahiyya Madrasa ( ar, المدرسة المصباحية) is a
''Maghress''. Retrieved January 22, 2018. The restoration was finally completed as of 2017 in the context of a wider restoration program for other madrasas and historic monuments in the city.
Mesbahiyya Madrasa ( ar, المدرسة المصباحية) is a madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
in Fes el Bali
Fes el Bali ( ar, فاس البالي, lit=Old Fes, ber, ⴼⴰⵙ ⴰⵇⴷⵉⵎ) is the oldest walled part of Fez, Morocco. Fes el Bali was founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. UNESCO listed Fes el Bali, alon ...
, the old medina quarter
A medina (from ar, مدينة, translit=madīnah, lit=city) is a historical district in a number of North African cities, often corresponding to an old walled city. The term comes from the Arabic word simply meaning "city" or "town".
Histori ...
in the city of Fez, Morocco
Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès, Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the List of cities in Morocco, second largest city i ...
. The madrasa was completed in 1346, during the Marinid period, under the patronage of the Marinid
The Marinid Sultanate was a Berber Muslim empire from the mid-13th to the 15th century which controlled present-day Morocco and, intermittently, other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula (Spain) ar ...
sultan Abu al-Hasan who was a prolific constructor of madrasas in the city. It is located next to the University of Al Quaraouiyine
The University of al-Qarawiyyin ( ar, جامعة القرويين; ber, ⵜⴰⵙⴷⴰⵡⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵇⴰⵕⴰⵡⵉⵢⵉⵏ; french: Université Al Quaraouiyine), also written Al-Karaouine or Al Quaraouiyine, is a university located in ...
.Description
The madrasa owes its name to the ''faqih'' (Islamic jurist) Al-Mesbahi, the first faqih who taught in the madrasa. It was distinguished by the white marble used in its construction and decoration, which was imported by Abu al-Hassan from the city of Almeria inal-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
(Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
). The extensive use of the marble gave the madrasa its nickname ''Madrasa ar-Rkham'' ( ar, مدرسة الرخام), meaning "school of marble". Centered around a courtyard, the building originally consisted of a ground floor and three upper floors, but the top floor has since been destroyed. On the north side of the courtyard is a large twin-arched opening leading to a square prayer hall. The twin-arched entrance is unique in the context of Marinid architecture and is richly decorated with carved stucco, including a cursive Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
inscription running in a frame around it. Despite its function, the prayer hall lacks a '' mihrab''. The madrasa could house around 140 students from across the country in 117 rooms across its different floors.
State of preservation
The madrasa has been severely damaged and elements of it have collapsed over time due to neglect and to poor restoration attempts. The dome of the prayer room, the ceiling of the ablutions room, and some other rooms were destroyed, and the iconic marbles have also deteriorated. However, it still retains valuable elements of Marinid motifs and original forms of floral and geometric decorations, and has been undergoing the restoration initiated in the early 1990s.المدرسة المصباحية.. كانت مزارا لنهل علوم الفقه والفلك''Maghress''. Retrieved January 22, 2018. The restoration was finally completed as of 2017 in the context of a wider restoration program for other madrasas and historic monuments in the city.
References
{{Fes Buildings and structures in Fez, Morocco Madrasas in Morocco Marinid architecture Religious buildings and structures completed in 1346