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The full courtyard of the Al-Attarine madrasa: marble fountain, zellige walls and carved cedar galleries

Al-Attarine Madrasa, Fes · Photo: Houssain tork, CC BY-SA 4.0

Al-Attarine Madrasa

The Al-Attarine Madrasa is a small Marinid college in Fes el-Bali, founded by Sultan Abu Said Uthman in the 1320s beside the Qarawiyyin. Non-Muslim visitors may enter, so you can stand in its marble fountain courtyard and study the zellige, carved stucco and cedar up close. It takes its name from the Attarine spice souk around it.

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What you'll see

The Al-Attarine Madrasa is an early-14th-century Marinid college founded by Sultan Abu Said Uthman around the 1320s, set right beside the Qarawiyyin mosque-university in the heart of Fes el-Bali. It takes its name from the adjacent Attarine souk, the lane of spice and perfume sellers it sits within. Though small, it is widely regarded as one of the jewels of Marinid craftsmanship, with exquisite zellige mosaic, finely carved cedar, delicate stucco and a marble courtyard set around a central fountain. Unlike the neighbouring Qarawiyyin, the madrasa is open to non-Muslim visitors, making it a rare chance to study this decoration up close.

The Al-Attarine Madrasa

Founded by the Marinid sultan Abu Said Uthman in the 1320s, the Al-Attarine is one of the older madrasas of Fes el-Bali and a teaching college that once housed students of the nearby Qarawiyyin. Though modest in size, it is often described as a jewel of Marinid art, packing an extraordinary density of decoration into a compact plan.

The central courtyard and fountain

At the heart of the madrasa is a small marble-paved courtyard with a central fountain, framed on every side by richly decorated walls. The intimate scale brings the decoration close, and the courtyard is where most visitors pause to take in how zellige, stucco and carved wood meet across each surface.

The zellige mosaic

The lower walls and courtyard are sheathed in zellige, the geometric mosaic of hand-cut glazed tile that Fes is famous for. The precision of the cut tile and the complexity of the star-and-polygon patterns are a highlight, and the Al-Attarine is often singled out for the quality of this work.

Carved cedar and stucco

Above the tilework, the middle registers are covered in finely carved stucco bearing arabesques and Arabic inscriptions, while the upper walls and eaves are worked in intricately carved cedarwood. The layering of tile, plaster and timber, each by a different craft, is exactly the combination that makes Marinid decoration so admired.

Its setting in the Attarine spice souk

The madrasa is named for the Attarine souk that surrounds it, the lane of spice and perfume sellers ("attarine" refers to the dealers in aromatics). Approaching it you pass stalls of spices, dried herbs and traditional remedies, so the visit is as much about the bustling souk setting as the building itself.

Beside the Qarawiyyin mosque-university

The Al-Attarine stands directly next to the Qarawiyyin, one of the oldest continuously operating centres of learning in the world. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but you can glimpse its courtyard through the great doorways nearby, and the madrasa offers an interior taste of the same architectural tradition.

Combining with the Qarawiyyin and Nejjarine

The madrasa sits in the dense core of Fes el-Bali, a short walk from the Qarawiyyin doorways and the Nejjarine quarter with its fondouk and fountain. A natural plan is to thread through the Attarine souk to the madrasa, glimpse the Qarawiyyin exterior, then continue to the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts before working back toward Talaa Kebira.

Where Attarine madrasa is

Pinned on OpenStreetMap, with the walk from the nearest gate. The places around it link to their own guides.

فاس الباليFes el-BaliTalaa Kebira · الطالعة الكبيرةباب بوجلودBab Boujloudباب المحروقBab Mahroukباب عجيسةBab Guissaباب الفتوحBab Ftouhباب الجديدBab JdidالقرويينQarawiyyinالشوارةChouaraالرصيفRcifعدوة الأندلسAndalusian bankقبور المرينيينMerinid Tombsالبرج الشماليBorj NordالبوعنانيةBou Inaniaفاس الجديدFes el-Jdidواد فاسOued Fesمكناس · وليلي · الرباطMeknes · Volubilis · Rabatشفشاون · طنجةChefchaouen · the Rif · Tangierصفرو · إفرانSefrou · Ifrane · the Middle AtlasمراكشMarrakechمرزوكةMerzouga · Erg Chebbiفاس الباليFes el-Baliخارج الأسوارOut through the gatesأبعد من فاسOff the edge of the mapالرياضYour riadN500 m (schematic)مدرسة العطارينAttarine madrasaباب عجيسةBab Guissaمدرسة العطارينAttarine madrasaباب عجيسةBab Guissa

About 9 minutes on foot from Bab Guissa باب عجيسة, 600 m through the lanes.

Close by

  1. The Qarawiyyinجامع القرويين1 min walk
  2. Zawiya of Moulay Idris IIضريح المولى إدريس الثاني2 min walk
  3. Seffarine squareساحة الصفارين2 min walk

More about Al-Attarine Madrasa

Open to non-Muslim visitors

Unlike the adjoining Qarawiyyin mosque-university, which non-Muslims may not enter, the Al-Attarine Madrasa is open to all visitors. This makes it one of the best places in Fes to step inside a Marinid building and look closely at the tilework, stucco and cedar that you can only glimpse from the doorways of the surrounding religious sites.

The upper-floor student cells

Like other Fes madrasas, the Al-Attarine had small student rooms on an upper floor arranged around the courtyard, where those studying at the Qarawiyyin once lodged. Where access is open, a stairway leads up to these simple cells and to views down over the courtyard and across the surrounding rooftops.

Dress and etiquette

Although open to visitors, the madrasa is a former religious teaching site, so dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered and keep your voice low. Photography of the architecture is generally fine, but be discreet and respectful, especially given how close you are to the working Qarawiyyin mosque next door.

How long to allow

Because it is compact, most visitors spend roughly 20 to 30 minutes inside, walking the courtyard, studying the zellige, stucco and cedar, and climbing to the upper cells where they are open. There is a small entry fee; check the current price and opening hours locally, as access can vary around prayer times.

Going with a local guide

A local guide can place the Al-Attarine in its Marinid context, point out details in the zellige, stucco and cedar you might otherwise miss, and navigate the tight lanes of the souk that surround it. It also makes it easy to fold the madrasa into a wider medina walk taking in the Qarawiyyin and Nejjarine without losing your bearings.

Before you knock

The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.

Can non-Muslims visit the Al-Attarine Madrasa in Fes?
Yes. Unlike the neighbouring Qarawiyyin mosque-university, which non-Muslims may not enter, the Al-Attarine Madrasa is open to all visitors. It remains a former religious teaching site, so dress modestly and behave respectfully, and note that access can vary around prayer times.
What is there to see at the Al-Attarine Madrasa?
The draw is its Marinid craftsmanship packed into a small space: a marble courtyard with a central fountain, framed by exquisite zellige mosaic, finely carved stucco with arabesques and inscriptions, and intricate cedar woodwork, with small student cells on an upper floor. It sits within the Attarine spice and perfume souk, right beside the Qarawiyyin.
Why is it called the Al-Attarine Madrasa?
It takes its name from the Attarine souk that surrounds it, the lane of spice and perfume sellers in the heart of Fes el-Bali. "Attarine" refers to the dealers in spices, perfumes and aromatic remedies, and you pass their stalls as you approach the madrasa.
How long should I spend at the Al-Attarine Madrasa?
Around 20 to 30 minutes is usually enough to walk the courtyard, study the zellige, stucco and cedar, and climb to the upper student cells where they are open. There is a small entry fee and opening can vary around prayer times, so check current prices and hours locally.

Read next

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