Read about this amazing story!

One of the oldest universities in the world was founded and built under the supervision of an inspirational woman named Fatima Al-Fihri. Thanks to her, the concept of universities is well established as we know today! When she inherited her family’s fortune, she decided to invest the wealth in something that would benefit the local community. That’s when she decided to build a mosque which then turned into a university, now named Al-Qarawiyyin.  

The university’s design beautifully resembles Al-Hambra’s architecture, which includes a 30-metre long courtyard, prayer hall, library and schoolrooms. She even oversaw the full construction of the building!

After al-Fihri’s death, the institution continued to strive and expand. Nowadays, the university is still going strong – offering various courses from religious studies to language, mathematics, music, astronomy and many more! The university continues to produce strong powerful women, one of them was Fatima al-Kabbai, who became the sole female member of the Moroccan Supreme Council of Religious Knowledge.

Although the story of Fatima Al-Fihri was 1,000 years ago, she continues to inspire many more!

Source: Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University – Muslim HeritageMuslim Heritage