Bou Inania Madrasa (Meknès)

The Bou Inania Madrasa of Meknès is a 14th-century Marinid college in the medina of Meknès, Morocco, on Rue Sidi Amar Bou Aouada close to the Grand Mosque. It was begun under the sultan Abu al-Hasan and completed by his son Abu Inan, who also built the better-known Bou Inania in Fès. The building is smaller than its Fès counterpart and quieter, which many visitors prefer. A modest entrance leads to a courtyard paved and faced with green tile, with carved stucco panels above and cedar beams and lattice screens beneath the eaves. A central basin sits in the court, and the former student cells open off galleries on the upper floor. The roof terrace is the highlight: from it visitors look across the green-tiled roof of the Grand Mosque and over the surrounding medina rooftops, with the minarets and the hills beyond visible on clear days. The terrace is also a good vantage for photographs of the roofline. The madrasa is open daily, generally from 9:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 17:00, though hours should be confirmed locally because they can change. Admission is about 20 MAD, and young children enter free. A visit takes 30 to 45 minutes. Morning is the best time, when the courtyard is quiet and the light on the tile is clear. It is about a ten-minute walk from Place el-Hedim into the medina, and can be combined with Dar Jamai Museum and the Grand Mosque exterior. Visitors should dress modestly. Because the college is much less visited than the major Fès madrasas, a guard or custodian may accompany visitors and expect a small tip.