Ben Youssef Madrasa

The madrasa is named after the adjacent Ben Youssef Mosque, which was originally the main mosque of the city, founded by the Almoravid Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf (r. 1106–1142 CE). According to historical sources, in particular al-Ifrani, the first madrasa on this site was founded during the Marinid dynasty by Sultan Abu al-Hasan (r. 1331–1348). Historically, madrasas in the Maghreb served to train ulama (Islamic scholars) in Maliki Islamic law, jurisprudence (fiqh), and variant readings (''Qira'at'') of the Qur'an. The Saadian dynasty, which enjoyed the status of sharifs (descendants of Muhammad), was less dependent on the construction of madrasas to sustain their legitimacy and the support of the ulama than their Marinid predecessors. The Ben Youssef Madrasa was constructed by the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib (r. 1557–1574 CE), a major builder of his period. Its construction probably began soon after he assumed power. It was completed in 1564–1565 CE (972 AH), as recorded by an inscription, following a style established during the earlier Marinid period. Closed down in 1960, the building was refurbished and reopened to the public as a historical site in 1982. The Ben Youssef Madrasa currently attracts thousands of tourists every year and remains one of the most important historical buildings in Marrakesh. == Architecture ==

Layout The madrasa's floor plan occupies a nearly square space measuring approximately 40 by 43 meters. Like many Islamic buildings, the courtyard is itself centered around a large, shallow reflective pool, measuring approximately 3 by 7 meters. In particular, the decorative arrangement follows the architectural traditions established in earlier Marinid madrasas: zellij tiling is used along lower walls, calligraphic friezes are generally present at eye-level, and the middle and upper areas of the walls are covered in stucco decoration before transitioning into wooden elements, including ornately carved eaves. The arches of the ground-floor galleries in the courtyard also have stucco consoles supporting carved wooden lintels that bridge the distances between each pier. The main central courtyard of the madrasa communicates a strong visual experience for visitors and students via these embellishing elements and their symmetrical arrangement. This courtyard is entered from the vestibule via a wooden screen (mashrabiyya) under a monumental archway which is itself decorated with carved stucco. Although the student cells that surround the courtyard have little to no interior decorative elements, the small secondary courtyards that grant access to them do bear some stucco and wooden decoration. The motifs carved into wood and stucco include traditional elements such as arabesques, sebka (or dark wa ktaf), calligraphic inscriptions, and muqarnas, as well as more distinctly Saadian-era motifs such as pine cones. The street entrance of the madrasa is overlooked by an elaborate muqarnas (stalactite or honeycomb-like sculpting) vault in front of the doorway, while another muqarnas cupola is found in the ablutions chamber. The doors of the madrasa are plated with bronze forming an interlacing geometric pattern and enhanced with shallow carved arabesque motifs. The cedar wood lintel above the doors is carved with an Arabic inscription on an arabesque background. The inscription names and praises Sultan Abdallah as the builder of the madrasa. Numerous other inscriptions are also found throughout the building on various surfaces, often consisting of Qur'anic verses. The large Kufic inscription around the arch of the mihrab, for example, includes the basmala and the tasliyya followed by verse 36 and the beginning of verse 37 from the Surah an-Nur. File:Madrasa ben Yusuf Marrakech 10.jpg|The muqarnas cupola in front of the madrasa's street entrance File:Ben youssed madrasa doors DSCF9370.jpg|Detail of the bronze plating on the doors of the madrasa's entrance File:Ben Youssef Madrasa IMG 5097 (18308359762) (cropped).jpg|Example of carved cedar wood ceiling with geometric star patterns (over the madrasa's vestibule) File:Marrakech, Medersa Ben Youssef 02.jpg|Entrance to the central courtyard adorned with cedar wood screen (mashrabiya) and carved stucco around the archway File:Ali ben Youssef Medersa (5038929320).jpg|Carved stucco and wood decoration of the courtyard, with a variety of motifs including arabesques, calligraphy, pine cones, and darj w ktaf File:Madraza Ben Youssef interior 09.JPG|One of the niches on the walls of the courtyard with stucco carved into muqarnas File:Madrasa ben Yusuf patio 10.jpg|Zellij mosaic tilework in the madrasa File:Ben youssef madrasa saadian marble DSCF9446.jpg|One of the Saadian-era carved marble panels at the entrance to the prayer hall File:Ben youssef madrasa mihrab decoration detail DSCF9478.jpg|Arabesque and pine cone motifs along with Kufic inscriptions around the mihrab File:Madrasa (24232359343).jpg|The muqarnas dome inside the mihrab; the sides are also covered in carved stucco with arabesque and pine cone motifs == Andalusi marble basin ==

between 1002 and 1007 in the late caliphal period (seen here at the Dar Si Said Museum in 2014) On display in the madrasa today is an elaborately carved marble basin from the Caliphate era of Cordoba (in present-day Spain). It was crafted at Madinat al-Zahra between 1002 and 1007 to serve as ablutions basin and was dedicated to 'Abd al-Malik, the son of al-Mansur, and was one of a series. It was previously kept at the Ben Youssef Madrasa for centuries and was first noted by experts in 1923. Scholar Mariam Rosser-Owen has suggested that the basin was originally imported to Marrakesh by Ali Ibn Yusuf, who incorporated a number of marble spolia from the ruined palaces of Cordoba in the Ben Youssef Mosque that he built in the 12th century. The basin would have then been re-used again for the Ben Youssef Madrasa, which was built in the same area much later, after the mosque had fallen into neglect. In the 20th century, the basin was removed for study and was housed until recently at the Dar Si Said Museum. After the recent restoration of the madrasa and the reorganization of the Dar Si Said Museum, the basin has been moved again and is now on display in the prayer hall of the madrasa. ==See also==