Al-Attarine Madrasa

'' and original bronze chandelier visible Context: Marinid madrasas The Marinids were prolific builders of madrasas, a type of institution which originated in northeastern Iran by the early 11th century and was progressively adopted further west. The madrasas played a supporting role to the Qarawiyyin; unlike the mosque, they provided accommodations for students, particularly those coming from outside of Fez. Many of these students were poor, seeking sufficient education to gain a higher position in their home towns, and the madrasas provided them with basic necessities such as lodging and bread. The madrasa has since been restored many times, but in a manner consistent with its original architectural style. == Architecture ==

Layout The madrasa is a two-story building accessed via an L-shaped bent entrance at the eastern end of Tala'a Kebira street. The south and north sides of the courtyard are occupied by galleries with two square pillars and two smaller marble columns, which support three carved wood arches in the middle and two smaller stucco muqarnas arches on the sides. Above this, in general, is a zone of extensive and intricately carved stucco decoration, including another layer of calligraphic decoration, niches and arches sculpted with muqarnas, and large surfaces covered in a diverse array of arabesques (floral and vegetal patterns) and other Moroccan motifs. Lastly, the upper zones generally feature surfaces of carved cedar wood, culminating in richly sculpted wooden eaves projecting over the top of the walls. Wooden artwork is also present in the pyramidal wooden cupola ceiling of the prayer hall, carved with geometric star patterns (similar to that found more broadly in Moorish architecture). The wood-carving on display here is also considered an example of the high point of Marinid artwork. The prayer hall also features extensive stucco decoration, especially around the richly decorated mihrab niche. The entrance of the hall consists of a "lambrequin"-style arch whose intrados are carved with muqarnas. The upper walls of the chamber, below the wooden cupola, also feature windows of coloured glass which are set into lead grilles (instead of the much more common stucco grilles of that period) forming intricate geometric or floral motifs. The marble (or onyx) columns and the engaged columns of the courtyard and prayer hall also feature exceptionally elegant and richly carved capitals, among the best examples of their kind in this period. The madrasa also features notable examples of Marinid-era ornamental metalwork. The doors of the madrasa's entrance are made of cedar wood but are covered in decorative bronze plating. The current doors in place today are replicas of the originals which are now kept at the Dar Batha Museum. The plating is composed of many pieces assembled together to form an interlacing geometric pattern similar to that found in other medieval Moroccan art forms such as Qur'anic or manuscript decoration. Each piece is chiseled with a background of arabesque or vegetal motifs, as well as a small Kufic script composition inside each of the octagonal stars in the wider geometric pattern. This design marks an evolution and refinement of the earlier Almoravid-era bronze-plated decoration on the doors of the nearby Qarawiyyin Mosque. Another piece of notable metalwork in the madrasa is the original bronze chandelier hanging in the prayer hall, which includes an inscription praising the madrasa's founder. File:Al-Attarine Madrasa (8753630063).jpg|Example of zellij tilework in the madrasa, with complex geometric patterns on the lower walls and a band of calligraphy above File:Al-Attarine calligraphy DSCF3971.jpg|Close-up of Arabic calligraphy in carved stucco (above) and glazed sgraffito-type tiles (below) File:MedersaAttarine.jpg|View of the small arches and blind arches (or niches) at the corners of the courtyard which are sculpted with muqarnas File:Islamic Art (4782216896).jpg|Example of motifs in carved stucco around the courtyard File:Medersa el Attarine, Fez (1) (13712699093).jpg|Details of the wood-carving along the top of the walls in the courtyard File:Al-Attarine Madrasa DSCF3617 (R Prazeres).jpg|Wooden cupola ceiling in the prayer hall File:Al-Attarine Madrasa IMG 2223 (R Prazeres).jpg|The "lambrequin" or muqarnas arch of the prayer hall's entrance File:Fez (25236659647).jpg|Details of the stucco decoration (and a marble engaged column) around the mihrab File:Al-Attarine Madrasa DSCF3614 (R Prazeres).jpg|Stucco decoration and coloured glass windows in the upper walls of the prayer hall File:Fez (40108864701).jpg|One of the intricately carved marble capitals above the columns in the courtyard File:Doorknob (4782213188).jpg|The decorative bronze plating of the doors at the madrasa's entrance (replicas of the originals) File:Al-Attarine Madrasa IMG 5583 (18125570609).jpg|The Marinid-era bronze chandelier in the prayer hall ==References==