Bou Inania Madrasa (Fès)

The Bou Inania Madrasa stands on Talaa Kebira in Fès el-Bali, the old walled medina of Fès in Morocco. It was built between 1350 and 1355 by the Marinid sultan Abu Inan and is notable as the only madrasa in Fès that also functioned as a congregational mosque, a status reflected in its minaret and the water channel that runs through the courtyard. The building is considered a high point of Marinid craft. The central courtyard has a floor of marble and a fountain basin, walls of zellige tile at the base, carved stucco in the middle band and intricately carved cedar above, with a deep cedar canopy and lattice screens shading the arcades. Non-Muslims may enter the courtyard and see the edge of the prayer hall, but not the prayer space itself. The entrance faces the old Dar al-Magana water clock, whose row of bronze bowls and carved brackets can be seen across the street. Visitors usually spend about 45 minutes, looking at the carving up close, sitting in the arcade, and photographing the court from the corners. Light is best shortly after opening, between 9:00 and 10:00, when it falls softly on the zellige and stucco; the court gets busy with tour groups from mid-morning. Midday closure for prayer applies to the mosque section, so timing the visit outside prayer times matters. Tickets cost about 20 MAD and are sold at the entrance. The madrasa is about a ten-minute walk down from Bab Bou Jeloud, making it an easy stop on the way to the Qarawiyyin and the Attarine Madrasa. Photography is generally allowed in the courtyard; visitors are asked to dress modestly and keep voices low.