Al Attarine Madrasa, Religious school in the medina of Fes, Morocco.
This fourteenth-century madrasa features a central courtyard surrounded by galleries with marble columns, colorful zellij tile mosaics, and intricately carved stucco decorations throughout its structure.
Built between 1323 and 1325 under Marinid Sultan Abu Sa'id Uthman II, it served as an Islamic theological college training scholars and could accommodate fifty to sixty students.
The prayer hall's elaborately decorated mihrab showcases Moorish artistry with geometric star motifs, Kufic inscriptions, and a wooden cupola ceiling demonstrating refined Moroccan craftsmanship from the Marinid era.
Open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, it now operates as a museum allowing visitors to explore Marinid architecture and appreciate traditional Moroccan decorative arts.
Its name derives from the nearby Souk al-Attarine where spice and perfume merchants traded, creating an aromatic commercial environment that complemented the scholarly atmosphere of this religious institution.
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