1. Monument of Morocco
Ben Youssef Madrasa Marrakech
Established in the fourteenth Century, the Ben Youssef Madrasa is
one of the most important buildings of its type in Marakesh. A
M0adrasa is a Koran school
which provides everything for
its students, including dorm
rooms and learning quarters.
The building itself is a
fascinating example of mixed
architecture, consisting mainly
of Moorish Spanish styles,
leading many to believe the building may have been built with
help from Spanish architects. The courtyard itself, though, is the
real attraction. Mixing many forms and styles, the decorations are
made from every material from stucco and marble to mosaic and
cedar wood.
The mosque here was actually constructed in the 12th Century,
two hundred years before the madrasa was officially founded.
The mosque is considered so important to the city as many of the
other parts of the city were built around it after the building itself
was constructed. While not nearly as huge as the nearby Mosque
of Koutoubia's 77 meter minaret, the minaret here is nonetheless
fairly imposing, at 40 meters tall.