Bou Inania Madrasa

The Bou Inania Madrasa is distinguished by a green-tiled minaret that rises above the skyline of the Fez-el-Bali medina. Built between thirteen fifty-one and thirteen fifty-five by the Marinid Sultan Abu Inan Faris, this complex served as both a center for theological study and a congregational mosque. While most madrasas in the city were smaller schools attached to existing mosques, the sultan commissioned this site on a grand scale to function as a Friday mosque. Its status allowed it to host the weekly sermon, a unique role that accounts for its elaborate prayer hall and prominent minaret.