World's Oldest University

Al-Qarawiyyin is a mosque and university in Fez, Morocco . It is considered as world’s oldest operational educational institution by UNESCO...

Al-Qarawiyyin is a mosque and university in Fez, Morocco. It is considered as world’s oldest operational educational institution by UNESCO and is Included in the Guinness book of world records. The initial mosque, built by Fatima Al-Fihri in 859 AD, later became home to the world’s first degree-issuing institution, hosting classes not only on the Islamic sciences but mathematics, science, astronomy, and foreign languages as well. It became a reference point for people all over the world to visit, learn and set the standard for subsequent institutions of learning. Andalusian geographer Hassan al Wazzan (Leo Africanus), Jewish philosopher Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides), Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd (Averroes), historiographer and thinker Ibn Khaldun, Sufi poet and philosopher Ibn Hazn all studied at this legendary institute. University and mosque are still in operation today and stand as a testament to the glory of Islam and the sincerity of a Muslim woman.