An article published on May 18, 2026, highlights the historical significance of Al-Qarawiyyin University, located in Fez, Morocco. Established in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, the institution began as a mosque built with her inherited wealth but soon evolved into a center for both worship and learning. Over time, it became a major hub for knowledge production and intellectual development within the Muslim world.

The university expanded beyond religious studies to include Arabic language, philosophy, logic, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. It played a key role in the exchange of knowledge and culture between the Muslim world and Europe during the Islamic Golden Age. Notable scholars such as Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Rushd, and Muhammad al-Idrisi were associated with it. Supported by successive rulers, the institution grew architecturally and housed one of the world’s oldest functioning libraries.

UNESCO and Guinness World Records have recognized Al-Qarawiyyin as the world’s oldest continuously operating university. In 1963, the Moroccan government restructured it into a modern public university, preserving its religious and educational traditions.