Bou Inania Medersa

The Bou Inania Medersa is the finest medieval building in Meknes and one of the best examples of Marinid architecture in Morocco. Built in the 14th century as a Koranic school and student residence, it is decorated with an extraordinary combination of carved cedarwood screens, zellige tilework, and intricate stucco panels that cover virtually every surface. The courtyard is the finest room, with a marble fountain at its centre and carved galleries on two levels.

The medersa is open to non-Muslims, which is rare for a religious building in Morocco. A small entrance fee is charged. Climb to the roof terrace for views over the medina and the minaret of the adjacent mosque. Allow about an hour to do it justice.

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A story
The Bou Inania Medersa was built in the 14th century by the Marinid sultan Abu Inan Faris, who reportedly tried to buy his way into paradise by constructing religious buildings throughout Morocco. When the scholars of Fez objected that a medersa (a school for Koranic study) shouldn't be built across from a tannery, the sultan replied that the revenue from the tannery more than covered the construction costs — and built it anyway.

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