Attraction
Jardin Majorelle
Jacques Majorelle's cobalt-blue villa and cactus garden, later owned by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, with a museum of Amazigh culture inside the villa.
Ben Youssef Madrasa
A 16th-century Saadian Quranic school, once the largest in the Maghreb, with a marble courtyard, a reflecting pool and 130 former student rooms.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic Islamic college
- Area
- Medina, Marrakech, Morocco
Good to know
- Courtyard pool
- Student cells
- Carved stucco and cedar
Why we recommend it
Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib of the Saadian dynasty commissioned the Ben Youssef Madrasa in 1564, beside the older Ben Youssef Mosque in the north of the medina. At its height it was the largest madrasa in the Maghreb, with 130 small student rooms housing several hundred students of religion and law. It closed as a school in 1960, reopened as a historic monument in 1982, and after a long restoration that began in 2018 it reopened to visitors in April 2022.
The main courtyard is the reason to come. A shallow rectangular pool runs down its centre, reflecting walls that rise in layers: zellij tilework at the base, then intricately carved stucco, then cedar wood with Kufic inscriptions beneath the eaves. At the far end, the prayer hall has a fine mihrab and a carved dome, and it displays an 11th-century marble ablutions basin brought from Córdoba. Above the street entrance, look up at the muqarnas vault.
Narrow corridors lead off the courtyard to six smaller courtyards and the student cells, many of them on an upper floor. Climbing up gives you a sense of how cramped student life was, and the small windows frame good views down into the main courtyard. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour. Stairs and narrow passages make the upper level less suitable for visitors with limited mobility.
The madrasa is one of the city's most photographed interiors, and the courtyard fills up quickly from mid-morning. Arriving at opening time is the best way to see it calmly. Opening hours can change during Ramadan, so check locally. Dress respectfully, as it is a former religious building.
It lies in the northern medina, around fifteen to twenty minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa through the souks. The Musée de Marrakech and the Almoravid Koubba, one of the few surviving Almoravid buildings in the city, are both a couple of minutes away, and the three make an easy cluster. The leather and dyers' souks are nearby. Lanes in this part of the medina are narrow and busy with motorbikes, so keep to the side and be wary of people offering to lead you to the tanneries for a fee. A map app with offline data helps a great deal when walking back to Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Ben Youssef Madrasa FAQs
When was the madrasa built?
It was commissioned by Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib and completed in 1564 to 1565.
When did it reopen after restoration?
It reopened to visitors in April 2022 after work that began in November 2018.
How many students did it house?
It had 130 student rooms and housed several hundred students at its peak.
How long should you allow?
Forty-five minutes to an hour covers the courtyard, prayer hall and upper floor.
When is the best time to visit?
At opening time, before the main courtyard fills with groups.
Is the upper floor accessible?
It is reached by stairs and narrow corridors, so it can be difficult for visitors with limited mobility.
What is nearby?
The Musée de Marrakech and the Almoravid Koubba are a short walk away.