Morocco: the international attraction for the Al-Qarawiyyin manuscripts

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Founded 12 centuries ago, Morocco's Al-Qarawiyyin University is home to one of the oldest libraries in the world, where precious Islamic manuscripts are preserved.

Kamel Tahdhib comes from Indonesia. The passionate student of Islamic sciences traveled thousands of kilometers to enroll in the Moroccan university specializing, since 2015, in Islamic teaching and religious education.

" I chose Al-Qarawiyyin University because it is one of the oldest universities in the world and because it is known all over the world. I have benefited from many things during my studies here at university, and when I return to Indonesia, I will share all this and expand my experience there,” explains the Indonesian student. 

Located in the ancient medina of Fez, Morocco, Al-Qarawiyyin University benefited from the endowment of the Tunisian Fatima al-Fihri, allowing its construction in the 9th century. Originally a mosque, Al-Qarawiyyin expanded into a university in the 10th century when Islamic religious schools were built around it. 

“ Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque had a great advantage over all other institutions, because it was the founding stone of this enlightened, open and moderate school of thought, and preserved Islam in its purity and openness to others ” , explains the imam of the mosque Abdelmajid El Mardi. 

The university library houses a collection of manuscripts written by renowned thinkers from the region, including Ibn Khaldoun's ' Muqadimmah '. The establishment also has a 9th century Quran written in Kufic calligraphy and a manuscript on the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence of Ibn Rochd.

The Guinness World Records considers this university playing a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of Islamic knowledge as " the oldest continuously existing and continuously operating educational institution in the world ."