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The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman

The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman


The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman

THE OLDEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD


-QARAWIYYIN-
FOUNDED BY A MUSLIM WOMAN

Article Compiled By
Saeed AbdulRahim
Email: Islamic_Wisdom@hotmail.com
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
The Oldest Library in the World Founded by a Muslim Woman
Section 1
Introduction
Section 2
Index of Feature Articles & Descriptions of the Qarawiyyin Library
Section 3
33 Feature Articles with detailed descriptions of the Qarawiyyin Library
Section 4
A collection of Biographies of Fatimah Al-Fihri Founder of the Qarawiyyin Mosque, University & Library
Section 5
A collection of Biographies of Aziza Chaouni the Architect who lead the Restoration of Khizanat-ul-
Qarawiyyin, the Worlds Oldest Library
Section 6
Credits

Section 1

Introduction
I was thoroughly fascinated to hear that the Oldest Library in the World was founded
by a Muslim Woman. This lead to a series of researches on the Internet which
confirmed the deep-rooted foundation of Researching, Knowledge Seeking and
Academic Learning engrained in the Islamic way of life.

The project of doing this paper involved drawing from the material available on the
subject at various sites on the net and to bring together in one place facts about this
Oldest Library in the world.

Qarawiyyin Library as it is known as, draws its foundation and name from the University
of Qarawiyyin. Today, following three years of restoration, the Library still sits on its
original site at Fez in Morocco while the University has been moved elsewhere.

Founded by the Muslim woman Fatimah Al-Firi in 859 CE, this Library demonstrates that
within 250 years of the Advent of the Ministry of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon
him-saw) Muslims had acquired such enhanced level of education that they were
spreading knowledge, wisdom and intellect by setting up institutions of learning of
which this library and its parent University is the earliest example.
Note: Difference between the terms Advent of Islam & Advent of the Ministry of Prophet Mohammad(saw)
It will be useful for people to know that I have carefully used the phrase Advent of the
Ministry of Prophet Mohammad instead of the more commonly used phrase Advent
of Islam while the preceding term is a geopolitical term to mark the beginning of the

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Ministry of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him-saw) whereas the more
theological term Advent of Islam carries an understanding that it relates to All the
Prophets which would be that Islam has been the Chosen religion of Allah since ever as
mentioned in the following verses of The Quran

Quran [5:3] as translated by M. Asad


Today have I perfected your religious law for you, and have bestowed upon you the full
measure of My blessings, and willed that self-surrender unto Me shall be your religion

Indeed, we find in The Quran mention of Adam and Eve residing in Paradise and then
their descending to Earth
Quran [2:35] as translated by M. Asad

Quran [7:19] as translated by M. Asad

Their descent to Earth is mentioned in the following verse of The Quran


Quran [ 2:36] as translated by M. Asad

thus, the descent of Adam on Earth initiated the chain of Islamic Prophets which starts
with Prophet Adam (peace be upon him-saw) himself and culminating in Prophet
Mohammad (saw) with Jesus son-of-Mary (peace be upon him-saw) being the
penultimate Prophet. Other than the distinction based on their chronology, we are
instructed in The Quran not to draw any difference between the Prophets and to say
that we hear and we obey.

The following three verses of The Quran emphasize this point about not making any
distinction between any of the apostles.
1.Quran [2:136] as translated by M. Asad

2
Quran [2:285] as translated by M. Asad

Quran [3:84] as translated by M. Asad

Hence, in any discussion on Islam the term Advent of Islam should be understood in
the time-based context of since ever whereas for geopolitical reasons a calendar was
established under the reign of the Second Caliph Omar Ibn al-khattab of the Ministry of
Prophet Mohammad(saw)

The Islamic calendar is usually abbreviated AH in Western languages from the Latinized
Anno Hegirae. Its starting date is from the Islamic month of Muharram 1, 1 AH,
corresponding to July 15, 622CE.1 The Hijra (migration of Prophet Mohmmad (saw)) is
the central historical event of early Islam. It led to the foundation of the first Muslim
city-state, a turning point in Islamic and world history and a starting point for the
counting of time under the Islamic calendar.

Note 2: When it comes to denoting dates, what is the difference between the notations
CE & AD?
The organization wisegeek.org believes there is really no difference between and AD/BC
and BCE/CE system because, when it comes to historical dates the year 23 AD is exactly
the same as the year 23 CE and 4004 BC is also 4004 BCE
www.wisegeek.org

The Three Significant Women on the project


Apart from the founder of the Qarawiyyin Library being a Muslim Woman, two other
women play very significant roles in the project. The official of Moroccos Ministry of
Culture who set the ball rolling vis-a- vis the restoration of the Library and the University
of Qarawiyyin is also a woman, and, offcourse the architect who supervised the 3year
restoration of the Library is also a female...

1
http://www.islamweb.net/en/article/200326/significance-of-the-islamic-hijri-calendar
3
Photographs appearing in the various descriptive narratives of the Qarawiyyin Library
In the course of researching for this compilation work, I discovered that many authors
and writers of the various articles on the Qarawiyyin Library have shared the same
photographs, hence, you will find that some of the photographs appear repeatedly.
Key Points about the Qarawiyyin Library.
Founding date
AD 859
Founder
Fatimah Al-Fihri
Location
Fez in Morocco
Restorer
Aziza Chaouni

Ingenious Ancient Security System


The iron door is found along a corridor that once linked the library with the
neighbouring Qarawiyyin Mosque the two centers of learning and cultural life in old
Fez. Inside it were kept the most prized tomes in the collection; works of such immense
import that each of the four latches had locks with separate keys held with four
different individuals, all of whom had to be present for the door to be opened.2

Oldest University as well.


Qarawiyyin University, the oldest higher education institution in the world with
stunning alumni including the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, the great Muslim
historian Ibn Khaldun, and the Andalusian diplomat Leo Africanus.

Prized Possessions of the Qarawiyyin Library


1.According to the AP, the manuscripts that the library holds include original copies of a
9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by
philosopher Averroes.
2.. Among the most precious manuscripts currently housed in the library are volumes
from the famous Al-Muwatta of Malik written on gazelle parchment, the Sirat Ibn Ishaq,
a copy of the Qur'an given by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1602, and the original copy of
Ibn Khaldun's book Al-'Ibar. [213

3. Lorraine Boissoneault adds that Al-Qarawiyyin Library is better known for its
manuscripts than its books. It houses one of the countrys two main collections and
includes 5,600 titles, more than half of which include multiple copies. The texts include
everything from the Muqadimmah, a 14th-century historical treatise by the renowned

2
Kareem Shaheen/Cities/Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation dated 11-11-2016
www.theguardian.com/info/2016/jan/25/content funding.
3
Wikipedia see R. Saoud article on http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?
4
scholar Ibn Khaldun (previously displayed by the Louvre in Paris), to a 9th-century
Quran.
4. Fittingly, El-Fihriya attended the university she helped to found. The library still has
her original diploma: a wooden board. (Chris Weller)
5. An original manuscript by Ibn Rochd on Maliki jurisprudence written in Andalusian
style calligraphy at the al-Qarawiyyin mosque.
Famous Alumni
Alumni includes the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, the great Muslim historian
Ibn Khaldun, and the Andalusian diplomat Leo Africanus.4

At Al-Karaouine (another spelling of Qarawiyyin), students have studied theology,


jurisprudence, philosophy, mathematics, astrology, astronomy and languages. The
university had among its students since the Middle Age famous people from all around
the Mediterranean sea such as the philosopher Averroes, the geographer Muhammad al-
Idrisi and the Jewish philosopher Maimonides.

The twelfth century cartographer Mohammed al-Idrisi, whose maps aided European
exploration in the Renaissance is said to have lived in Fes for some time, suggesting that
he may have worked or studied at Al Quaraouiyine. The madrasa has produced
numerous scholars who have strongly influenced the intellectual and academic history
of the Muslim world. Among these are Ibn Rushayd al-Sabti (d. 1321), Mohammed Ibn al-
Hajj al-Abdari al-Fasi (d. 1336), Abu Imran al-Fasi (d. 1015), a leading theorist of the Maliki
school of Islamic jurisprudence, Leo Africanus, a renowned traveler and writer. Pioneer
scholars such as Al-Idrissi (d.1166 AD), Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240 AD), Ibn Khaldun (1332-1395
AD), Ibn al-Khatib, Al-Bitruji (Alpetragius), Ibn Hirzihim, and Al-Wazzan were all connected
Historically with the madrasa either as students or as lecturers.

Wikipedia summarizes the list of famous alumni as follows


List of alumni:3
Ibn Khaldun
Maimonides - Jewish philosopher
Muhammad al-Idrisi geographer
Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Abdullah al-Ghumari
Imam al-Bannani
Leo Africanus
Abd el-Krim el-Khattabi
Allal al-Fassi
Fatima al-Kabbaj

4
Kareem Shaheen/Cities/Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation dated 11-11-2016
www.theguardian.com/info/2016/jan/25/content funding.
5
Famous Visitors
Among Christian scholars visiting Al Quaraouiyine (another spelling of Qarawiyyin) were
the Belgian Nicolas Cleynaerts and the Dutchman Golius and Pope Sylvester II.
[215] [22]6

Section 2
Index of Feature Articles & Descriptions of the Qarawiyyin Library
Description 1.
Title: A UNESCO Publication on their website
Writer: A UNESCO Staff Writer / Web Publisher for UNESCO
Organization: UNESCO
Web Address: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/170
Description 2.
Title: In Morocco's Fez, world's oldest library holds gems
Writer: AFP Published 1 December 2016
Organization: Daily Mail/AFP
Web Address: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3989652/In-Moroccos-Fez-worlds-oldest-library-holds- Field Code Changed
gems.html
Description 3.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Library Founded by a Woman & Restored by a Woman
Writer: Lorraine Boissoneault, November 28, 2016
Organization: Literary Hub: Lithub.com
Web Address: http://lithub.com/the-worlds-oldest-library-founded-by-a-woman-restored-by-a-woman
Description 4.
Title: The oldest library on Earth was started by a woman, and finally everyone can visit it
Writer: By Selin Cheng July 03,2016
Organization: Quartz Media
Web Address: https://qz.com/708139/the-worlds-oldest-university-and-library-in-morocco-founded-and-
restored-by-two-women/
Description 5.
Title: World's oldest library reopens in Fez
Writer: Kareem Shaheen, in Fez, Monday 19 September 2016
Organizations: Guardian Cities
Web Address: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/19/books-world-oldest-library-fez-morocco
Description 6.
Title: The oldest library in the world just opened to the public here's a look inside
Writer: By Chris Weller
Organization: UK Business Insider
Web Address: http://uk.businessinsider.com/inside-al-qarawiyyin-the-oldest-library-in-the-world-2016-
6?r=US&IR=T/#the-al-
Description 7.
Title: 10 Facts about the worlds oldest library
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: ICON The Institute of Conservation
Web Address: https://icon.org.uk/news/10-facts-about-worlds-oldest-library

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Wikipedia see R. Saoud article on http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=447
6
Wikipedia Crowe, Felicity; Goddard, Jolyon; Hollingum, Ben; MacEachern, Sally; Russell, Henry, eds. (2011). Modern Muslim
Societies. Muslim World. New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish Reference. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-7614-7927-7. Retrieved 24 November
2015.
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Description 8.
Title: Al-Qarawiyyin The Worlds oldest library gets a Facelift in Fez in Morocco
Writer: Daisy Carrington, March 02, 2017
Organization: CNN
Web Address: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/29/travel/worlds-oldest-library-al-qarawiyyin/index.html
Description 9.
Title: World's oldest university, library, meets 21st century with massive restoration
Writer: Natasha Maguder and Tom Page, CNN April 3, 2017
Organization: Source CNN/The Muslim Times
Web Address: https://themuslimtimes.info/2017/04/03/worlds-oldest-university-library-meets-21st-century-
with-massive-restoration/
Description 10.
Title: The Delicate Task of Restoring One of The World's Oldest Libraries
Writer: May 21, 2016 npr.org by Leila Fadel
Organization: Source NPR
Web Address: http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/05/21/476045944/the-delicate-task-of-restoring-
one-of-the-worlds-oldest-libraries
Description 11.
Title: The World's Oldest Library Is Reopening
Writer: Sebastian Modak, 22-09-2016
Organization: Candenast Traveller & AP
Web Address: http://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-worlds-oldest-library-is-reopening
Description 12.
Title: A walk through the worlds oldest library in Fez, Morocco
Writer: Source -TRT World and Agencies
Organization: TRT World
Web Address: http://www.trtworld.com/art-culture/a-walk-through-the-worlds-oldest-library-in-fez-
morocco-142811
Description 13.
Title: Now You Can Visit the Oldest Library in the World
Writer: Leah Schnelbach, Mon Jun 13, 2016
Organization: TOR.com
Web Address: http://www.tor.com/2016/06/13/moroccos-al-qarawiyyin-library-oldest-in-world-newly-
renovated-and-open-to-visitors/
Description 14.
Title: Moroccos al-Qarawiyyin Library renovating a hidden Cultural Masterpiece
Writer: Staff Writer the New Arab and Agencies
Organization: AlAraby
Web Address: https://alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2016/4/19 moroccos-al-qarawiyyin-library-renovating-
a-hidden-cultural-masterpiece.
Description 15.
Title: Morocco: one of the world's oldest libraries is renovated
Writer: Staff Writer Published 19-04-2016 Updated April 28th 2017
Organization: Daily Mail
Web Address: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3547178/Morocco-one-worlds-oldest-libraries- Field Code Changed
renovated.html
Description 16.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Working Library Will Soon Open Its Doors to the Public
Writer: Danny Lewis, July 13, 2016
Organization: Smithsonian.com

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Web Address: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-working-library-will-soon-open-to-the-
public-180959670/#QOFc2XTFtBjOwvTX.99
Description 17.
Title: Worlds Oldest Library in Morocco to reopen in May
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: World Bulletin
Web Address: http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/170060/worlds-oldest-library-in-morocco-to-reopen-in-may
Description 18.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Library Will Soon Open to the Public
Writer: Melanie Lieberman September 20, 2016
Organization: Travel and Leisure.com
Web Address: http://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/landmarks-monuments/oldest-library-
qarawiyyin-reopens-fez-morocco
Description 19.
Title: You Can Visit the World's Oldest Library in Fez, Morocco & As old as Algebra
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: Curiosity.Com
Web Address: https://curiosity.com/topics/you-can-visit-the-worlds-oldest-library-in-fez-morocco-curiosity/
Description 20.
Title: This is a Womens Story: Revitalizing the Worlds Oldest Library
Writer: Bridey Heing
Organization: Hazlitt
Web Address: http://hazlitt.net/feature/womens-story-revitalizing-worlds-oldest-library
Description 21.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Library Has Reopened
Writer: Eric Grundhauser
Organization: Atlas Obscura
Web Address: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/university-of-alkaraouine
Description 22.
Title: Restoring the World's Oldest Library: Keynote by Aziza Chaouni
Writer / Speaker: Aziza Chaouni 24th October, The Atrium, Building 4, Dubai Design District (d3)
Organization: Dubai Design Week
Web Address: http://www.dubaidesignweek.ae/2016-programme/restoring-the-worlds-oldest-library-
keynote-by-aziza-chaouni/
Description 23.
Title: It is time to visit the worlds oldest library in Morocco
Writer: Muftah
Organization: Muftah.Org
Web Address: https://muftah.org/worlds-oldest-library-morocco/#.WRsYsIWcFPY
Description 24.
Title: How the Worlds oldest library was restored
Writer: April 21, 2016 by Faena Aleph
Organization: Avant Urbanism
Webb Address: http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/how-the-worlds-oldest-library-was-
restored/
Description 25.
Title: Worlds Oldest Library in Morocco To Regain Lost Glory
Writer: Fredrick Ngugi
Organization: Face2Face Africa
Webb Address: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/al-qarawiyyin-library

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Description 26.
Title: Worlds Oldest Library Opens to The Public
Writer: Staff Writer, October 2016
Organization: In the News
Webb Address: https://hmhinthenews.com/worlds-oldest-library-opens-to-
the-public/
Description 27.
Title: The Oldest Library in the world, restored
Writer: Written by Adam Spera, on July 19 2016
Organization: BookStr
Web Address: https://www.bookstr.com/article/restoring-the-oldest-library-in-the-world/1876
Description 28.
Title: Aziza Chaouni: the woman behind the restoration of the worlds oldest library in Morocco
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: The Moroccan Times
Web Address: http://themoroccantimes.com/2016/11/21629/aziza-chaouni-the-woman-behind-the-
restoration-of-worlds-oldest-library-morocco-interview
Description 29.
Title: World's oldest university, library, meets 21st century with massive restoration
Writer: Natasha Maguder and Tom Page April 3, 2017
Organization: CNN STYLE INSIDE AFRICA
Web Address: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/03/africa/fez-al-qarawiyyin-medina-restoration-
unesco/index.html
Description 30.
Title: CNN features Restoration of Al-Qarawiyyin, Worlds Oldest Library
Writer: By Constance Renton - April 1, 2017, 2:49 pm
Organization: Morocco World News
Web Address: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/11/200899/built-by-a-woman-restored-by-a-
woman-qarawiyyin-symbol-of-female-endeavor/
Description 31.
Title: Profile: Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest library in the world, set to re-open after multimillion-
pound restoration
Writer: 20th September 2016 / Nan Spowart, Journalist
Organization: The National Scot
Web Address:
http://www.thenational.scot/world/14871162.Profile__Khizanat_al_Qarawiyyin__the_oldest_library_in_t
he_world__set_to_re_open_after_multimillion_pound_restoration/
Description 32.
Title: A Sneak Peek into the Oldest Library in the World
Writer: Kareem Shaheen 30-12-16
Organization: Bookriot.com
Web Address: http://bookriot.com/2016/12/30/sneak-peek-oldest-library-world/
Description 33.
Title: Restoring the Worlds oldest Library
Writer: Karen Eng
Organization: Ideas-Ted.com
Web Address: http://ideas.ted.com/restoring-the-worlds-oldest-library/http://ideas.ted.com/restoring-the-worlds-
oldest-library/
==================================================================================================

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Section 3
33 distinct descriptions of the library
Description 1 of The Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 1.
Title: A UNESCO Publication on their website
Writer: A UNESCO Staff Writer / Web Publisher for UNESCO
Organization: UNESCO
Web Address: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/170
Editorial Note1: Several attempts have been made to contact UNESCO through their
website to seek clarification about use of this article, but there has been no
acknowledgement from UNESCO. Even the Library at the UN Headquarters has not been
able to assist in making contact with UNESCO. In view of this lack of response from
UNESCO their article is included here in this collection along with all the Credits and
Acknowledgements.
Editorial Note2. The following article from UNESCOs website speaks more about the city
of Fez and not so much about the restoration of the oldest library in the world
==========
Founded in the 9th century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fez reached
its height in the 13th14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as
the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the
medina madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains - date from
this period. Although the political capital of Morocco was transferred to Rabat in 1912,
Fez has retained its status as the country's cultural and spiritual center.

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Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Panoramic view Barbara Blanchard

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The Medina of Fez preserves, in an ancient part comprising numerous monumental


buildings, the memory of the capital founded by the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and
808 A.D. The original town was comprised of two large fortified quarters separated by
the Fez wadi: the banks of the Andalous and those of the Karouanais. In the 11th
century, the Almoravids reunited the town within a sole rampart and, under the dynasty
of the Almohads (12th and 13th centuries), the original town (Fez el-bali) already grew
to its present-day size. Under the Merinids (13th to 15th centuries), a new town (Fez
Jedid) was founded (in 1276) to the west of the ancient one (Fez El-Bali). It contains the
royal palace, the army headquarters, fortifications and residential areas. At that time,
the two entities of the Medina of Fez evolve in symbiosis forming one of the largest
Islamic metropolis's representing a great variety of architectural forms and urban
landscapes. They include a considerable number of religious, civil and military
monuments that brought about a multi-cultural society. This architecture is
characterized by construction techniques and decoration developed over a period of
more than ten centuries, and where local knowledge and skills are interwoven with
diverse outside inspiration (Andalusian, Oriental and African). The Medina of Fez is
considered as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-
Muslim world. The unpaved urban space conserves the majority of its original functions
and attribute. It not only represents an outstanding architectural, archaeological and
urban heritage, but also transmits a life style, skills and a culture that persist and are
renewed despite the diverse effects of the evolving modern societies.
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Criterion (ii): The Medina of Fez bears a living witness to a flourishing city of the eastern
Mediterranean having exercised considerable influence mainly from the 12th to the
15th centuries, on the development of architecture, monumental arts and town-
planning, notably in North Africa, Andalousia and in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fez Jedid (the
new town), was inspired from the earlier town-planning model of Marrakesh.

Criterion (v): The Medina of Fez constitutes an outstanding example of a medieval town
created during the very first centuries of Islamisation of Morocco and presenting an
original type of human settlement and traditional occupation of the land representative
of Moroccan urban culture over a long historical period (from the 9th to the beginning
of the 20th centuries). The ancient fragmented district of the medina with its high
density of monuments of religious, civil and military character, are outstanding
examples of this culture and the resulting interaction with the diverse stratas of the
population that have influenced the wide variety of architectural forms and urban
landscapes.

Integrity (2009)

The boundaries of the property inscribed on the World Heritage List are clear and
appropriate and include the urban fabric and the walls. The buffer zone defined by the
Decrees of 23 August 1923 and 29 October 1954 adequately protects the visual
integrity. The Medina of Fez comprises an urban fabric that has remained remarkably
homogenous and intact over the centuries. The main problems noted are the
deterioration of the buildings and the over-populated area. The surrounds of the
medina are an indispensable element of the visual aspect of its environment and must
be maintained as a non-constructible zone. This area is vulnerable due to pressure from
uncontrolled urban development.

Authenticity (2009)

All the key elements that comprise the property reflect in a clear and integral manner
the Outstanding Universal Value. The survival of traditional architectural know-how,
notably as regards architectural building and decoration trades, is a major advantage for
the maintenance of the values of the property. The Ministry for Culture endeavours,
not without difficulty, to ensure that the different actors respect the authenticity of the
property.

Protection and management requirements (2009)

The Medina of Fez is protected by the local and national legal texts for its preservation
and reinforcement, at the local level, of its inscription of the World Heritage List, and
notably Decree N2-81-25 of 22 October 1981 for the enforcement of Law N22-80
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concerning the conservation of historic monuments and sites, inscriptions and art
objects and antiquity.

Given the vulnerability of the property, the State adopted a Development Plan of the
Medina in 2001. This plan is re-evaluated every ten years. It incorporates specific
provisions for the ancient district, and it should rationalise and organize the required
urban interventions. In the framework of the programme for the promotion of regional
tourism, the local authorities have undertaken safeguarding actions concerning houses
threatened with collapse and the rehabilitation of the remarkable monuments of the
Medina. The implementation of this programme has been entrusted to the Agency for
De-densification and Rehabilitation of the Medina of Fez. The Inspection of the Historic
Monuments is the responsibility of the Ministry for Culture and thus ensures the
monitoring and the supervision of these projects in conformity with national and
international standards for the conservation of historic monuments. .
Media

Medina of Fez (UNESCO/NHK)

NHK World Heritage 100 Series

Activities (1)

World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP)

News (1)

World Heritage Volunteers 2015 Action Camps welcome the International Youth Day on 12 August Tuesday,
11 August 2015

Links

Fez (Ministry of Communication)

View photos from OUR PLACE the World Heritage collection

Pictures accompanying the UNESO article

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Picture(s) Credits for the UNESCO Article
1. Copyright: Barbara Blanchard
Author: Barbara Blanchard
Source: Barbara Blanchard
Download :
Medium 375 x 500 px / 3.18 x 4.23 cm
URL: whc.unesco.org/en/documents/108788
Rights Usage Terms: Read Usage Terms
2. Copyright: Editions Gelbart
Author: Jean-Jacques Gelbart
Source: Jean-Jacques Gelbart
Download :
Medium 301 x 500 px / 2.55 x 4.23 cm
URL: whc.unesco.org/en/documents/108811
Rights Usage Terms: Read Usage Terms
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3. Copyright: Nicolas Economou Photography
Author: Nikolas Oikonomou
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Description 2 of The Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 2.
Title: In Morocco's Fez, world's oldest library holds gems
Writer: AFP Published 1 December 2016
Organization: Daily Mail/AFP
Web Address: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3989652/In-Moroccos-Fez-worlds-oldest-library- Field Code Changed
holds-gems.html
Detailed Description

In Morocco's Fez, world's oldest library holds gems


By AFP
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3989652/In-Moroccos-Fez-worlds-oldest-
library-holds-gems.html

Published: 10:50, 1 December 2016 | Updated: 10:51, 1 December 2016

Nestled in a labyrinth of streets in the heart of Morocco's ancient city of Fez, stands the
world's oldest working library.

Its sculpted dark wooden door stands almost hidden on the edge of a square where
artisans hammer away at copper in a deafening din, delighting passing tourists.

But for the few lucky enough to be allowed behind the door, a staircase tiled with green
and blue hints at the written wonders beyond.

19
A man reads a manuscript on astronomy by renowned tenth century Muslim
philosopher Al-Farabi, at the al-Qarawiyyin Library on November 21, 2016 Fadel
Senna (AFP/File)

As early writings from the Arabic-speaking world have come under increasing threat
from extremists, the Qarawiyyin library is home to priceless treatises in Islamic studies,
astronomy and medicine.

Last year the Islamic State group burned thousands of rare manuscripts at the Mosul
library in Iraq, and in 2013 Islamists torched countless early writings from the Islamic
world and Greece in Mali's Timbuktu.

The Qarawiyyin library has just emerged from years of restoration, although no date has
yet been fixed for a public opening.

"All that's left to be done are a few finishing touches and the electricity," says Boubker
Jouane, the library's deputy director.

"A house of science and wisdom", according to its founder Fatima Al-Fihri, the
Qarawiyyin library was one of the Arab world's largest centres of learning.

Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Al-Qayrawan in Tunisia, established the
library, the university that originally housed it and a mosque in 859.

20
Today the university has moved to a new location, but the mosque -- which shares an
emerald-green tile roof with the library -- still stands.

The library as it appears today was built in the 14th century under sultan Abu Inan, and
completely restructured under king Mohammed V, the grandfather of Morocco's
current monarch.

Over the centuries, sultans, noblemen, princesses and wise men have contributed
works to its shelves.

Under an imposing ceiling of wooden arabesques and a huge copper chandelier, the
main reading room sits next to an area that contains some 20,000 books.

A short walk -- through a corridor of mosaics, past panels of sculpted cedar wood under
finely chiseled ceilings -- leads to the library's centerpiece.

The manuscript room is hidden behind two heavy metal doors and protected by an
alarm system and surveillance cameras.

Its wooden window shutters are closed to prevent sunlight from entering.

The precious manuscripts are each bundled in a grey-coloured cardboard file and
displayed on standard metal shelves.

Works can be consulted sitting at one of two chairs next to a simple table -- on which
sits a green felt cushion embroidered with gold thread.

Around 3,800 titles are kept here, some of them priceless

One example is a treatise on medicine by philosopher and physician Ibn Tufayl from the
12th century.

- 'Ailments in verse' -

"From baldness to corn on the foot, all ailments of the body are listed -- in verse to
make them easier to learn," Jouane says.

The word "diabetes", which is of Greek origin, already features written in Arabic script.

Another gem is a handwritten copy of historian and philosopher Ibn Khaldun's "Book of
Lessons". The treatise in history has been signed by the 14th-century thinker himself.

"Praise be to God, what is written belongs to me," a line he wrote reads in


breathtakingly elegant handwriting.
21
Another 12th-century manuscript -- a treatise in astronomy by philosopher Al-Farabi --
shows the course of the planet Jupiter, complete with drawings of astonishing precision.

And then there is a treatise on the Malikite doctrine in Islam written by the grandfather
of the Arab philosopher Averroes.

Its 200 pages of gazelle leather are inscribed with tiny immaculate calligraphy dotted
with embellishments in gold ink.

Perhaps surprisingly, one of the "works most in demand" according to Jouane is


Christian: a 12th century copy of the Gospel of Mark in Arabic.

It was translated "in all likelihood by a Christian man of letters from Andalusia who had
come to Qarawiyyin to learn Arabic", says Jouane, expressing pride at the "incredible
degree of tolerance at the time".

The library counted 30,000 manuscripts when it was founded under Abu Inan. But many
were destroyed, stolen or plundered over the years, says Jouane.

"There's only very little left of what once was, but today we carefully watch over these
priceless treasures."

22
Around 3,800 titles are kept at the al-Qarawiyyin Library, some of them priceless
Fadel Senna (AFP/File)

The Qarawiyyin library is home to priceless treatises in Islamic studies, astronomy and
medicine Fadel Senna (AFP/File)

Description 3 of The Qarawiyyin Library


Summary
Description 3.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Library Founded by a Woman & Restored by a Woman
Writer: Lorraine Boissoneault, November 28, 2016
Organization: Literary Hub: Lithub.com
Web Address: http://lithub.com/the-worlds-oldest-library-founded-by-a-woman-restored-by-a-
womanNovember 28, 2016 by Lorraine Boissoneault
Detailed Description
In the City of Fez in Morocco there is place called Al-Qarawiyyin, which includes a
university and a library and a mosque. Tour guides are eager to point out that
this is the oldest library in use in the world,

Lorraine Boissoneault, a librarian by descent and profession puts the position of


Qarawiyyin Library as being the Oldest functional library in the world in the context of
her own ancestral history in the following words.
23
Like most writers, I grew up adoring libraries. The smell of them, the orderly layout, the
sight of all those spines propped upright and waiting to be read, the feeling of drowning
in the vastness of written human experience and still believing I had something to offer.
I dreamt of having a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast, where I could ride
ladders from one wall to the next. I studied the Library of Alexandria, visited the main
branch of the New York Public Library, salivated over the shelves at Trinity College
Library in Dublin. My grandmother and my great aunt and my mother-in-law were all
librarians; for a while I worked at my local library. I felt immersed in that world, familiar
with it. So how could I possibly not have known that Morocco was home to the worlds
oldest and longest-functioning library?

Lorraine Boissoneault adds that Al-Qarawiyyin Library is better known for its
manuscripts than its books. It houses one of the countrys two main collections and
includes 5,600 titles, more than half of which include multiple copies. The texts include
everything from the Muqadimmah, a 14th-century historical treatise by the renowned
scholar Ibn Khaldun (previously displayed by the Louvre in Paris), to a 9th-century
Quran. Al-Qarawiyyin Library was a hub of intellectualism for hundreds of years
following its founding in 859 C.E.*(See Note below regarding the Notation C.E.) all
thanks to its founderFatima al-Fehri.

The Tunisian immigrant moved with her family to Fez in the mid-9th century. Fatima
grew up being educated, along with her sister. When their father died, Fatima used her
inheritance to create the library and mosque. It became a center of learning, for
centuries providing Morocco with many of its judges and teachers. Women were even
allowed to attend lectures that were thought to be of interest.
It seems only fitting, given the librarys history, that a Moroccan woman would be asked
to lead its restoration.

Brief history of the architect in charge of the restoration project.


Aziza Chaouni is an architect who works in Canada and Morocco, and whose family
history intertwines with that of the library. Her great-grandfather was a student at al-
Qarawiyyin University. He came to the city of Fez from a northern village, riding on the
back of a donkey and taking refuge in the library when he couldnt return home to visit
his family. Chaouni herself grew up in Fez, seeing the big library door but not knowing
what lay behind it; at the time, the library wasnt open to the public.

Of course, I was in love with books, so for me it wouldve been a fantastic place to
visit, Chaouni said in an interview with Georgia Tech Library. As a child I imagined it as
a fantastical large space with stacks that would be four stories high. I had the
impression that it was only one big space, when actually it is composed of a very

24
intricate set of three courtyard buildings that were each built at a different time as
succeeding generations made additions and modifications.

Those additions made it all the more challenging to conserve the library while also
modernizing it. But Chaouni was chosen for her ability to respect the history and
acknowledge the present. The renovated library is thought to have much better climate
control and high-tech stations for preserving the manuscripts, some of which have been
damaged over the years. Best of all, the library is now open to the public, including a
manuscript viewing center.

When I was young, I was immensely impressed by this young woman (Fatima al-Fehri)
who devoted her entire fortune that she inherited and also her entire life to creating a
center of knowledge for her city, Chaouni said. So when I was asked to rehabilitate
this building, I was extremely excited. Me, myself being a woman, asked to rehabilitate
a building by a woman.

Today when I think of Morocco, I still remember the smells of the markets. But I also
think of everything else I saw and learned there, and of the women who made such
learning possible. Someday I hope to go back. And when I do, my first stop will be al-
Qarawiyyin Library in Fez. A city of camel heads and donkeys and tanneries and books.

Description No.4 of Al-Qarawiyyin Library


Summary
Description 4.
Title: The oldest library on Earth was started by a woman, and finally everyone can visit it
Writer: By Selin Cheng July 03,2016
Organization: Quartz Media
Web Address: https://qz.com/708139/the-worlds-oldest-university-and-library-in-morocco-founded-and-
restored-by-two-women/

Detailed Description
By Quartz Media
The oldest library on Earth was started by a woman, and finally everyone can visit it
https://qz.com/708139/the-worlds-oldest-university-and-library-in-morocco-founded-
and-restored-by-two-women/
By Selin Cheng July 03,2016
Founded by a Muslim woman, the University of Al Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, opened
its doors in 859. Its library has been restored during the last three years by another
woman, Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni.

25
The library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books and ancient Arabic manuscripts
written by renowned scholars of the region. According to the AP, the manuscripts
include a 9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence
written by philosopher Averroes.
The University complex was founded as a mosque by Fatima Al-Fehri, who inherited her
merchant fathers fortunes after the family moved from Al Qayrawan, or modern day
Tunisia. In The golden age of Islam, (French, video) a documentary that aired on
France 5 Channel, Al-Fehri was described as a young woman fascinated by knowledge
and curious about the world. She oversaw the construction of the mosque, and until her
later years, attended lectures by reputed scholars who travelled to teach at the mosque
school

It is still considered a leading religious and education institution in the Muslim world.
Today, the University of Al Qarawiyyin has moved away to another part of Fez, but the
mosque and the library remain at the ancient complex.

Chaouni, originally from Fez, says she had not heard of the library before she was
enlisted by the Moroccan Culture Ministry in 2012 to take charge of its restoration,
which suffered from the climate and humidity over the years. Throughout the years,
the library underwent many rehabilitations, but it still suffered from major structural
problems, a lack of insulation, and infrastructural deficiencies like a blocked drainage
system, broken tiles, cracked wood beams, exposed electric wires, and so on, says
Chaouni on TED.com.

The restoration equipped the library with solar panels, a new gutter system, digital locks
to the rare books room and air conditioning that will help control humidity and protect
books in the library. The library was previously open only to scholars and researchers. It
now will have a wing open to the general public, which includes an exhibition room and
a small caf.

Photos and Captions Accompanying the Article by Selin Cheng for Quartz.com

26
One of the Courtyards

27
A Corner of a Reading Room

28
Curator of the Qarawiyyin Library Abdelfattah Boughchouf opens an original version of Ibn Khalduns most
famous work MUQADIMMAH, dating back to the 14th Century (AP Photo/ Samia Errazouki)

29
Description No.5 of Al-Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 5.
Title: World's oldest library reopens in Fez
Writer: Kareem Shaheen, in Fez, Monday 19 September 2016
Organizations: Guardian Cities
Web Address: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/19/books-world-oldest-library-fez-morocco
Detailed Description
By Guardian Cities
World's oldest library reopens in Fez: 'You can hurt us, but you can't hurt the books'
After years of restoration, the ninth-century Qarawiyyin library in north-eastern
Morocco is finally set to reopen with strict security and a new underground canal
system to protect its most prized manuscripts

Guardian Cities is supported by


Kareem Shaheen in Fez

30
Monday 19 September 2016 07.00 BST Last modified on Friday 11 November 2016
12.56 GMT

The caretaker stares at the wrought iron door and its four ancient locks with a gleam in
his eyes. Outside, the Moroccan sun shines down upon the ornate coloured tiles of
Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, located in the old medina of Fez. This, it is widely believed, is
the oldest library in the world and soon it will be open to the general public again.

It was like healing wounds, says Aziza Chaouni, a Fez native and the architect tasked
with restoring the great library. The iron door is found along a corridor that once linked
the library with the neighbouring Qarawiyyin Mosque the two centers of learning and
cultural life in old Fez. Inside it were kept the most prized tomes in the collection; works
of such immense import that each of the four locks had separate keys held with four
different individuals, all of whom had to be present for the door to be opened.

The restored library boasts a new sewerage and underground canal system to drain
away the moisture that had threatened to destroy many of its prized manuscripts plus
an elaborate lab to treat, preserve and digitise the oldest texts. The collection of
advanced machinery includes digital scanners that identify minuscule holes in the
ancient paper rolls, and a preservative machine which treats the manuscripts with a
liquid that moistens them enough to prevent cracking.

A special room with strict security and temperature and humidity controls houses the
most ancient works. The most precious is a ninth-century copy of the Quran, written in
ornate Kufic script on camel skin.

The musk of old books permeates the reading room, and the copies feel fragile and
dusty, wearied by years of disuse. Some are wrapped up to prevent them disintegrating
in your hands.

The people who work here jealously guard the books, says one of the caretakers. You
can hurt us, but you cannot hurt the books.

The librarys restoration comes at a time when extremists are rampaging the regions
heritage. Across Syria and Iraq, the militants of the Islamic State have carried out
cultural atrocities that include ransacking the great library of Mosul, burning thousands
of manuscripts, bulldozing ancient Assyrian cities like Nimrud and Hatra in Iraq, blowing
up the Temple of Bel in Palmyra and sacking the oasis citys museum, in addition to
destroying tombs and mausoleums of Shia and Christian saints.

31
Those troubles seem a world away in Morocco, which managed to remain unscathed by
the tumult that has gripped the region and brought down venerable nation states. The
king introduced reforms that placated enough of the middle class without devolving too
much power to the Islamist-dominated parliament, and peace was largely restored after
a series of protests in early 2011.

In 2012, the ministry of culture, which manages the Qarawiyyin library and university,
asked Chaouni to assess the library, and she was pleasantly surprised when her
architecture firm was awarded the contract, in a field traditionally seen as a mans
province.

The Qarawiyyin library was also founded by a woman. In the ninth century, Fatima al-
Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Tunisias Kairouan, arrived in Fez and
began laying the groundwork for a complex that would include the library, the
Qarawiyyin Mosque, and Qarawiyyin University, the oldest higher education institution
in the world with alumni including the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, the
great Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun, and the Andalusian diplomat Leo Africanus.

I hope that the people from Fez will use the space like a second home

Aziza Chaouni

The restoration of the library fits into this pattern Aziza Chaouni recalls stories of how
her great-grandfather travelled on a mule from his ancestral village in Morocco to study
at Qarawiyyin University in the 19th century.

One of his homes was the library, she says. It has this magical aura.

Growing up in Fez, Chaouni would often visit her great-uncles workshop at the
coppersmiths quarter just a stones throw away from the library, and would be
confronted by its immense closed door at the entrance, and wonder what lay beyond.
Once she was in charge of restoring it, she wanted to do more than just fix the broken
tiles.

It has to continue to live, she says. I hope it will open soon, and the public will come
and enjoy seeing the manuscripts for the first time. But I also hope that the people from
Fez will use the space like a second home. The librarys value is not simply to preserve it
for tourists, but that it is functioning.

Engineers worked to determine the structural integrity of the library, restoring some of
the woodwork but all the while trying to preserve as much of it as possible. They were
32
helped by the fact that France had undertaken a significant restoration project in the
1940s with the aim of allowing non-Muslims access to the library. They also installed a
new chandelier in the reading room, a high-ceiling hall with polished wooden desks and
chairs, and intricate reliefs on its columns.

In 2012 Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni started work on the restoration


project.

The library is expected to be reopened for visitors later this year after an initial target of
summer 2016, and then September, slipped by. No definite date has been set, but the
architects remain confident it will happen before 2017. As a sign of the authorities
investment in the restoration, King Mohammad VI inspected the work in June, and the
monarch is expected to inaugurate the reopening.

The renovation is at the forefront of the plan to restore Fez to its status as a spiritual
and cultural capital, which it was for centuries, until Rabat became the centre of
political life when Morocco was still a French protectorate. Many of the citys thinkers
and intellectuals left Fez, condemning it to a future as a provincial city, but fortunately
preventing the gentrification of the old medina, which maintains its earthy quality to
this day.

Now renovations are taking place in other quarters of the city. Sufi and music festivals
have also injected with fresh blood, as young people rediscover the medina throughout
the year. Plans are being made for an exhibition that would showcase the most prized
collections in the library.

But for Chaouni, the sustainable architecture philosophy also means the library cannot
be a relic of ages past, but a breathing part of the city, much like the old medina is still
an inhabited living organism.

It is a philosophy she takes to heart. Chaouni also drafted a plan to restore the river in
Fez, which was once known as the river of jewels, but was gradually drenched in waste
from the local tannery and sewage from the surrounding residences, and then partially
covered with concrete and trash. The river is slowly coming to life now.

I would like my kids to be able to see this heritage, she says, recalling how in her
childhood she could scarcely see inside the walled-off complex.

The medina of Fez has the largest pedestrian network, the largest number of historic
buildings inside, and I think as a model, as a living city, its not just a city for tourists,

33
she adds. It is still transforming and adjusting, and as a pedestrian city its a great
model for sustainability.
Description 6 of Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 6.
Title: The oldest library in the world just opened to the public here's a look inside
Writer: By Chris Weller
Organization: UK Business Insider
Web Address: http://uk.businessinsider.com/inside-al-qarawiyyin-the-oldest-library-in-the-world-2016-
6?r=US&IR=T/#the-al-
http://uk.businessinsider.com/inside-al-qarawiyyin-the-oldest-library-in-the-world-2016-6?r=US&IR=T/#the-al-
qarawiyyin-university-library-and-mosque-were-founded-by-fatima-el-fihriya-in-859--around-the-time-early-forms-of-
algebra-were-being-invented-1
Detailed Description
The oldest library in the world just opened to the public here's a look inside
By Chris Weller for UK Business Adviser

The al-Qarawiyyin university, library, and mosque were founded by Fatima El-Fihriya in
859 around the time early forms of algebra were being invented.

Fittingly, El-Fihriya attended the university she helped to found. The library still has her
original diploma: a wooden board.

Today, thanks to Aziza Chaouni's four-year renovation, the al-Qarawiyyin library


features restored fountains and delicately rehabilitated texts, many of them original
religious works.

The interior is a stunning combination of intricate mosaics and stark white archways.

Of course, the world's oldest library needs a dedicated reading room.

Al-Qarawiyyin is home to approximately 4,000 manuscripts, NPR reports. There are 9th-
century Qurans written in Kufic calligraphy and the oldest known accounts of the life of
the prophet Muhammed.

Abdelfattah Bougchouf is the curator of the impressive collection. It's his responsibility
to make sure the books are cared for and properly handled.

One such book is the original "Muqadimmah," a famous 14th-century text from the
North African historian Ibn Khaldun.

34
Another is the original manuscript detailing an ancient legal system of Islam, written in
calligraphy.
But perhaps the most treasured work of the library is the original 9th-century Quran,
still in its original binding. It is the oldest work in the entire collection.
Only a month after it opened to the public, visitors from all over the world are already
flocking to glimpse a piece of history.

35
The al-Qarawiyyin university, library, and mosque were founded by Fatima El-Fihriya in
859 around the time early forms of algebra were being invented.
Samia Errazouki/AP Images

Fittingly, El-Fihriya attended the university she helped to found. The library still has her
original diploma: a wooden board.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

36
The interior is a stunning combination of intricate mosaics and stark white archways.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

37
Of course, the world's oldest library needs a dedicated reading room.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

38
Description 7.
Title: 10 Facts about the worlds oldest library
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: ICON The Institute of Conservation
Web Address: https://icon.org.uk/news/10-facts-about-worlds-oldest-library
Detailed Description
10 facts about the worlds oldest library
After a complex four-year restoration, al-Qarawiyyin library in Fez, Morocco,
is ready for the public once more

With recent headlines sharing news of cultural atrocities across Syria and Iraq, we found
it heartening to receive news of al-Qarawiyyin, the world's oldest library soon to open
to the public once more. We take a look at its storied past.
1. Qarawiyyin Library is over a thousand years old
Founded in 860, Qarawiyyin is believed to be the oldest working library in the world. It
is part of Qarawiyyin University which, according to the UN, is the oldest operating
educational institute in the world. Alumni include the Jewish philosopher Moses
Maimonides, the Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun, and the Andalusian diplomat Leo
Africanus

2. The library was founded by a woman


The library was established by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a prosperous merchant
from Tunisia who vowed to spend her inheritance on building a mosque and knowledge
center for her community.

Fittingly, the complex restoration project was awarded to a woman: architect Aziza
Chaouni who, according to the Guardian, was pleasantly surprised that her architecture
firm won the contract in a field traditionally seen as a mans province.

3. The library was shut to the public due to serious disrepair


After operating for over a millennium, Qarawiyyin library fell into serious disrepair.
Neglect, lack of financial support, heat and unregulated humidity threatened to destroy
the precious manuscripts housed inside.

"When I first visited, I was shocked at the state of the place," Aziza wrote earlier this
year at TED.com. "In rooms containing precious manuscripts, the temperature and
moisture were uncontrolled, and there were cracks in the ceiling."

Aziza and her team have restored the site not only as a monument to the past but as a
living, breathing part of the city.
39
"There has to be a fine balance between keeping the original spaces, addressing the
needs of current users, including students, researchers and visitors, and integrating new
sustainable technologies," says Aziza.

4. The library holds over 4,000 manuscripts by some of Islams greatest thinkers
Qarawiyyin houses thousands of precious manuscripts, some dating as far back as the
7th century. The collection covers everything from law to astronomy and includes the
earliest Islamic hadiths (the words and actions of Islam's prophet Mohammed) as well
as an original copy of historian Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah, which records an early view
of universal history.

5. The librarys most precious manuscript is a 9th century copy of the Quran
The Quran is written in ornate Kufic script on camel skin and is now kept in a secure
room with strict temperature and humidity control.

6. The original manuscript room had four locks with four keys given to four different
individuals
The Guardian reports that the original manuscript room held works of such immense
import that each of the four locks had separate keys held by four different individuals,
all of whom had to be present for the door to be opened.

7. The library created a space for non-Muslims and Muslims to exchange ideas
Qarawiyyin played a leading role in the transfer of knowledge between Muslims and
Europeans.
In the 10th century, Pope Sylvester II, known as a prolific scholar, was one of the
visitors.

8. Modern tech now precisely monitors heat and humidity


After the complex restoration, the library now benefits from a new gutter system, solar
panels and air conditioning units which are tucked behind wooden carvings that match
the aesthetic. The most precious manuscripts are protected in a temperature- and
humidity-controlled room with a modern security system.

9. The Moroccan king has lent his support to the restoration


The restoration project has enjoyed royal backing with Moroccos current monarch,
King Mohammad VI, visiting the work in June. He is also expected to inaugurate the
public reopening.
10. You can visit it soon!

40
The library is expected to be reopened for visitors later this year. The restored site will
include a reading room, a conference room, a manuscript restoration laboratory, and a
rare books collection along with new administrative offices and a caf.

Aziza also commissioned furniture from local craftsmen who used native wood, and
built courtyard umbrellas that provide shade and mist on hot summer days.

Support heritage conservation in the UK and beyond: Join Icon as a Supporter for only
50 a year.
Description 8 of Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 8.
Title: Al-Qarawiyyin The Worlds oldest library gets a Facelift in Fez in Morocco
Writer: Daisy Carrington, March 02, 2017
Organization: CNN
Web Address: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/29/travel/worlds-oldest-library-al-qarawiyyin/index.html
Detailed Description
By CNN
Al-Qarawiyyin -- world's oldest library -- gets facelift in Fez,
Morocco
By Daisy Carrington, CNN
Updated 0922 GMT (1722 HKT) March 2, 2017

(CNN)The al-Qarawiyyin Library has long been a source of fascination for residents in
Fez, Morocco, as few of them have ever passed through its doors. Opened in 859, it is
thought to be the world's oldest library, and the maze of rooms were closed off to all
but a few scholars and students of the university where it was housed.
"We knew where it was more or less, but could not enter. It was this big, mysterious
place," recalls Aziza Chaouni, a Fez native and the architect who has overseen al-
Qarawiyyin's restoration. "I had no idea what lay behind its gigantic iron doors."

In 2012, a woman from Morocco's Ministry of Culture contacted Chaouni for an


assessment. When the Toronto-based architect and engineer stepped inside the
building, however, she was shocked to discover it was rotting.

"It was exquisite, but it was in a very bad state," she recalls. Over the centuries, rain
water poured off the roof of the neighboring mosque and infiltrated the library. After
excavating, Chaouni discovered what she described as a river running underneath the
floors. To rescue the structure from further damage, she built an underground canal
system to lead the water into the sewer.
41
"When you have books and water, it's a horrible recipe," she says. Read MoreThough
the structural changes were, she admits, a major undertaking, they pale in comparison
to the work she's done to bring the 9th century complex into the 21st century. Making it
modern, and making it open to the public -- and not just to researchers -- are the
cornerstone of Chaouni's vision for al-Qarawiyyin. Chaouni added a new lab to treat,
preserve and digitize some of the oldest texts, which include a ninth-century Quran,
written in Kufic (the oldest form of Arabic calligraphy) on camel skin. State-of-the-art
machinery can mend holes in ancient paper rolls, and prevent cracks in ancient scrolls.
"Hopefully, by digitizing, we can make some of these manuscripts available online, and
spread the knowledge way beyond Fez and Morocco," she says. Though the library isn't
yet open to the public, it is expected to be in 2017.
Secret rooms
In a way, the library's interior had an added allure for Chaouni, who grew up hearing
family stories about her great grandfather, who went to Fez from his village on a donkey
to study at the illustrious university, and who spent many hours studying in the reading
room at al-Qarawiyyin Library. What she hadn't anticipated was the many secret nooks
that lay behind boarded up walls and doors.
"We were always discovering things as we were ripping out walls," she says. One
standout discovery for her was a hidden room that had a 12th century cupola made
with intricate lattice wood.

"It was this extremely refined and unusual type of roof that was hidden away," she
recalls. "It's typical of the element of surprise you fine in Fez. You'll have these narrow
streets and find a small door that enters into an amazing courtyard."

Women's work
Chaouni is the latest is a line of women that have shaped the library's history. The
library was founded by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy Tunisian merchant
(she also founded the Qarawiyyin Mosque and Qarawiyyin University. Chaouni also
believes that her own role in restoring the library was made possible by the fact it was a
woman at the Ministry of Culture that reached out to her.

"I was lucky that it was a lady from the Ministry who heard of me. If it was a man, he
probably would have hired another man, one of his friends."
She is quick to point out that though her gender presented challenges, they weren't
unique to Morocco.

"As a woman in Toronto, I still have to work twice as hard in a technical field to make
myself heard. Sure, this gender-thing exists in Morocco, but it's still changed immensely
from when I was a young girl and the time of my mother."

42
In the end, though, it was worth it to Chaouni to bring the library back to its former
glory, and to "It's probably the thing I'm most proud of," she says. "The heritage needs
to live. It can't be thought of as this mummy we need to preserve."
Please see from next page, 7 pictures accompanying this CNN Article by Daisy Carrington
Photos & Captions Accompanying the CNN Article by Daisy Carrington.
Picture 1. Accompanying the CNN Article

43
Picture No.2 Accompanying the CNN Article

Picture No.3 Accompanying the CNN Article

44
Picture No.4 Accompanying the CNN Article

Picture No.5 Accompanying the CNN Article

45
Picture No. 6 Accompanying the CNN Article

Description 9 of Qarawiyyin Library


Summary
Description 9.
Title: World's oldest university, library, meets 21st century with massive restoration
Writer: Natasha Maguder and Tom Page, CNN April 3, 2017
Organization: Source CNN/The Muslim Times

46
Web Address: https://themuslimtimes.info/2017/04/03/worlds-oldest-university-library-meets-21st-century-
with-massive-restoration/

Detailed Description
World's oldest university, library, meets
21st century with massive restoration
Natasha Maguder and Tom Page, CNN
Updated 0846 GMT (1646 HKT) April 3, 2017
3CNN)"A wise man without a book is like a workman with no tools."

For centuries, wise men have flocked to the city of Fez seeking knowledge from the
books held within its ancient library at al-Qarawiyyin. Scholars and students at the
adjacent university, as well local artisans, have long drawn from its carefully curated
manuscripts, providing a touchstone to Morocco's past as pioneer in Islamic arts and
science.

Nestled within the city's medina, the institution is only 30 years younger than Fez itself.
The oldest university in the world, according to Guiness World Records, al-Qarawiyyin
opened in 859 AD under the patronage of Fatima al-Fihri, a wealthy Arab woman who
also commissioned a mosque and madrasa. Its library came along in 1359 AD and
contains manuscripts that are among the earliest in Islamic history. A ninth century
Quran, a 10th century account of the Prophet Muhammad's life, as well as formative
scientific and medical textbooks can all be found here.

It is officially the oldest university in the world

From generation to generation, custodians have kept these precious documents under
lock and key for generations, working to the thrum of copper artisans hammering away
outside the library's walls. While wars have raged and colonizers come and gone, al-

47
Qarawiyyin has stayed much the same. Yet being a living historical artifact has brought
its own problems.

Over centuries, rain water trickled off the neighboring mosque's roof, seeping into the
library. Unbeknownst to the staff, the situation had gotten so bad a stream of water
was slowly flowing beneath al-Qarawiyyin's floorboards. Rot set in and the building's
foundations were in danger. "Fez has been a pivotal center of learning, especially for
Islamic studies," says Moha Ennaji, professor of linguistics and culture and the
University of Fez. But with its centerpiece falling into disrepair, the city's status was
under threat.

The Ministry of Culture kicked into action, enlisting Aziza Chaouni and her team of
architects to oversee a major renovation of the library. Engineers re-built foundations,
installing a new sewage system; each tile of the building's iconic green roof was
restored individually and painstakingly relayed.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ancient site had concealed some secrets over the years.

"We were always discovering things as we were ripping out walls," says Chaouni.
Among them was a doorway connecting the library and the mosque, hidden within a
16th century cupola.

The rebuild has also brought in a few modern touches -- lighting, heating and air
conditioning, and in the basement, a high-tech laboratory built for restoring precious
manuscripts

48
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ancient site had concealed some secrets over the years.
"We were always discovering things as we were ripping out walls," says Chaouni.
Among them was a doorway connecting the library and the mosque, hidden within a
16th century cupola.

Workers in the new basement lab at al-Qarawiyyin.


"The library authorities have decided lately to actually scan them and digitize them, so
that they can be kept on disc for future use," says Ennaji. "[The] manuscripts are very
old and they may be lost or destroyed just by use, so we have to be very cautious."

49
Al-Qarawiyyin's cautious approach is reaping rewards. But after five years there's still no
fixed date for the formal public opening, when everyone from Fez and beyond will
finally be able to read the library's old tomes. "The sooner we can open the library the
better, as every day there are researchers who find out that the library is still closed,"
says Abdelfattah Bougchouf, curator at al-Qarawiyyin. "The quicker we can finish it the
happier it will make us."

If Fez's population is being forced to wait a while before its curiosity is sated, then it can
always take a stroll around its medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest in
the world.

A manuscript under restoration.


The sooner we can open the library the better, as every day there are researchers who
find out that the library is still closed," says Abdelfattah Bougchouf, curator at al-
Qarawiyyin. "The quicker we can finish it the happier it will make us."
If Fez's population is being forced to wait a while before its curiosity is sated, then it can
always take a stroll around its medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest in
the world.

Its warren of alleyways, like al-Qarawiyyin, is also being revitalized, under the watch of
Fouad Serrhini, director of ADER Fes, the body in charge of the historic medina.
"We have about 83,000 people living in the medina, about 30,000 people working in
handicraft," says Serrihini, who himself was born and raised within its walls. "Even
50
today, you can see that there is this homogeny, this marriage between tradition and
modernity," Ennaji notes, citing the satellite dishes that dot rooftops for as far as the
eye can see.

"For more than 150 years [the medina has been in] a cycle of degradation," Serrihini
explains. But ADER Fes is updating the UNESCO site's infrastructure, including
uncovering the medina's narrow rivers -- which Serrihin says some residents weren't
even aware of.

In doing so the renovations have supplied thousands of artisans with fresh water for
their workshops, while the scheme has installed solar capture to heat personal water
supplies too.

"If business is not good with the artisans, business is not good in the whole city," says
one of the medina's fez hat makers. From metalworkers to clothworkers, the aim is "to
translate [the medina's] cultural value into economic value," says Serrihini.
When al- Qarawiyyin finally opens its doors, these artisans, as well as scholars and
students, will finally be able to return to the library's hallowed reading rooms. And with
the crown jewel of Fez restored, the city's status will be assured for many centuries to
come.

Description 10 of Qarawiyyin Library


Summary
Description 10
Title: The Delicate Task of Restoring One of The World's Oldest Libraries
Writer: May 21, 2016 npr.org by Leila Fadel.
Organization: Source NPR
Web Address: http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/05/21/476045944/the-delicate-task-of-restoring-
one-of-the-worlds-oldest-libraries
Detailed Description.
The Delicate Task of Restoring One of
The World's Oldest Libraries
May 21, 2016 npr.org by Leila Fadel
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/05/21/476045944/the-delicate-task-of-restoring-one-of-the-worlds-
oldest-libraries
The copper craft makers in Seffarin Square in the historic district of Fez, Morocco, bang
out designs on platters and shape copper pots to a rhythm. Called the medina,
neighborhood streets lined with domes and archways take you back through the history
of the dynasties and occupiers that ruled Morocco from the 9th century on. At the
center of the square is the Qarawiyyin Library, founded more than a millennium ago.
51
We've heard much recently about the destruction of grand historical sites in places like
Syria and Iraq, where war and ISIS wreak havoc on the present and the past. But this
library has been lovingly restored to protect ancient manuscripts by some of the
greatest Islamic thinkers.

It's part of what the United Nations calls the oldest operating educational institute in
the world. The complex started as a mosque in the 9th century and expanded to include
a university and library in the 10th century. It's defined by beautiful courtyards centered
around fountains.

Inside the library are ornately carved wooden window frames and archways, colorful
ceramic tile designs on the floors and elegant Arabic calligraphy engraved in the walls.
The high ceilings in the reading room are adorned with gold chandeliers.

"There is a big restoration because there was a need for the building and the
manuscripts to be preserved," said Abdullah al-Henda, part of the restoration team
that's been working on the restoration since 2012. "There were problems of infiltration,
of sewage, degradation of walls, some cracks in different places in the library."

The library holds some 4,000 manuscripts: Qurans that date back to the 9th century, the
earliest collection of Islamic hadiths the words and actions of Islam's prophet
Mohammed and an original copy of the great Muslim thinker and historian Ibn
Khaldun's Muqaddimah.

And Henda points out the library connected the east and the west.

"It was a bridge of knowledge of researchers, between Africa and between the Middle
East and Europe," he said when the library opened, it created a space for non-Muslims
and Muslims to exchange ideas. In the 10th century, Pope Sylvester II, known as a
prolific scholar, was one of the visitors.

And notably it was all made possible because of a woman, Fatima al-Fihri. She was the
pious daughter of a wealthy merchant who provided the money to found the mosque,
the university and the library.

That doesn't surprise Henda.

"Ladies are half of society," he said. "She was descended from a rich family, she has the
capacity, she has the ability, the money to do it and the will."

52
It's a small reminder of the importance of women in the history of Islam. And it's
echoed in the fact that a Canadian-Moroccan woman, architect Aziza Chaouni, led the
restoration.

Now the library has a new gutter system and solar panels. Air conditioner units are
tucked behind wooden carvings that match the aesthetic. And finally, the delicate
manuscripts are protected in a temperature- and humidity-controlled room with a
modern security system.

Henda says the library, which will reopen officially in May, is more than just a building.
We have to preserve it. We have to restore it because it's our identity," he said. "It's our
archives. It's our memory."

When the library opened, it created a space for non-Muslims and Muslims to exchange
ideas. In the 10th century, Pope Sylvester II, known as a prolific scholar, was one of the
visitors.
And notably it was all made possible because of a woman, Fatima al-Fihri. She was the
pious daughter of a wealthy merchant who provided the money to found the mosque,
the university and the library.
Photographs accompanying this NPR article on the Qarawiyyin Library.
Photograph No.1 Accompanying the NPR article

53
The Caption of the above Photograph Reads

The curator of the Qarawiyyin Library, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, opens an original version
of a famous work, Muqaddimah, written by historian Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century.
The library in Fez is one of the world's oldest working libraries, dating to the 10th
century when it was founded by a pioneering woman. The library is set to reopen in
May following a renovation. Samia Errazouki/AP
Photograph No.2 Accompanying the NPR Article

The Caption of the above photograph reads


The reading room of the Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez is part of a four-year restoration
project. Samia Errazouki/AP

54
Photograph No.3 Accompanying the NPR Article

The Caption of the above Photograph Reads.

One of the oldest works in one of the world's oldest libraries is a 9th century Quran
written on leather with Kufic calligraphy, at the Qarawiyyin Library, in Fez, Morocco.

Samia Errazouki/AP

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Leila Fadel

International Correspondent, Cairo

Leila Fadel is NPR's international correspondent based in Cairo.

Before joining NPR, she covered the Middle East for The Washington Post. In her role as
Cairo Bureau Chief she reported on a wave of revolts and their aftermaths in Libya,
Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria.

Prior to her position as Cairo Bureau Chief for the Post, she covered the Iraq war for
nearly five years with Knight Ridder, McClatchy Newspapers and later the Washington
Post. Her foreign coverage of the devastating human toll of the Iraq war earned her the
George. R. Polk award in 2007.

Leila Fadel is a Lebanese-American journalist who speaks conversational Arabic and was
raised in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
55
Description 11 of Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 11.
Title: The World's Oldest Library Is Reopening
Writer: Sebastian Modak, 22-09-2016
Organization: Candenast Traveller & AP
Web Address: http://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-worlds-oldest-library-is-reopening
Detailed Description
The World's Oldest Library Is Reopening
by Sebastian Modak
September 22, 2016 Candenast Traveller
AP
Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest library in the world, is in the final stages of a three-
year restoration and will be reopening soon.
Calling all bibliophiles.
http://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-worlds-oldest-library-is-
reopening
Fez, Morocco, is a bucket-list mainstay for lovers of history, culture, and artand soon,
there may be yet another reason to make the trip. Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, thought to
be the oldest library in the world, will be re-opening in the coming months after three
years of restoration.

The library has had a long history, and was originally opened in 859 C.E. as a mosque,
built by Fatima Al-Fihri, who used the inheritance from her merchant father's coffers to
fund what continues to be a center of learning and scholarship today. In 2012, with the
library's vast collection of religious texts and philosophical treatises decaying in the
Moroccan heat, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture began a full restoration of the space,
led by the Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni.

When it reopens, the library will retain much of its ancient splendor, but with a few 21st
century upgrades including solar panels, a new gutter system, humidity controls, and air
conditioning to control the climate that over the years was damaging the building
itselfand the 4,000 ancient manuscripts it contains. A state-of-the-art laboratory has
been added to the premises as well, where a full time staff will preserve and digitize the
texts, and upgraded computerized security systems will replace the lock-and-key doors
that housed some of the library's most valuable pieces. (Although, it's not like the
ancient method wasn't thorough. According to the Guardian, some of the most valuable
manuscripts, including a ninth-century Koran written in ornate Kufic calligraphy, were
housed for centuries behind an iron door with four locks each corresponding to a key

56
held by a different person. For the door to be opened all four key-keepers had to be
present.

While the under-the-hood upgrades are crucial to the survival of the artifacts contained
within, the most drastic change to the facility may still be a 'What if?' According to Town
& Country, the library's architects are lobbying for just one wing to be open to the
public when it reopens: Prior to the restoration, the entire building was accessible only
to researchers and scholars by appointment, and authorities are yet to decide whether
to keep it that way. The summer of 2016 had been the original target date for the
library's reopening, but as that has passed by, a new date has not been announced.
According to the Guardian, however, Chaouni and team are shooting for it to be ready
before 2017. Since it's never too early to start planning that cultural pilgrimage, here's
hoping they decide to at least allow us a glimpse of the treasures contained within
Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin.

Photograph accompanying the article by Sebastian Modak for Candenast Travellor

57
Description 12 of Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 12.
Title: A walk through the worlds oldest library in Fez, Morocco
Writer: Source -TRT World and Agencies
Organization: TRT World
Web Address: http://www.trtworld.com/art-culture/a-walk-through-the-worlds-oldest-library-in-fez-
morocco-142811
Detailed Description
A walk through the worlds oldest library in Fez, Morocco
http://www.trtworld.com/art-culture/a-walk-through-the-worlds-oldest-library-
in-fez-morocco-142811

The oldest library in the world was reopened for visitors recently. Founded by a Muslim
woman more than 12 centuries ago, it underwent extensive renovations also headed up
by another woman.

Al-Qarawiyyin library, the oldest working library in the world, has undergone extensive
renovations and was recently unveiled to the public in Fez, Morocco.

Until now, the privilege of using the library has been limited to scholars who need to
seek formal permission, and authorities haven't decided yet whether to change that.

The University of Al-Qarawiyyin is considered the first university in the world. Originally
a mosque, it expanded in the 10th century to become a university, Abdel Majid El-
Marzi, imam and administrator of the mosque, told AP.

It was founded by a Muslim woman named Fatima al-Fihiri in the year 859, debunking
the myth that Muslim women were subjugated. Al-Fihiri, immigrated with her family
from present-day Tunisia in the 9th century establishing themselves in Moroccan
society. A few years later, she lost her father, husband and brother in short succession.
She and her sister, therefore, inherited a substantial sum of money. With this money,
she built the Qarawiyyin mosque which included the Al-Qarawiyyin university on its
grounds. Mariam, her sister, built the Al-Andalusia mosque, with both women
dedicating their lives and fortune to the service of the people.

Historical records denote that al-Fihri was hands-on during the construction period of
the mosque and other reports said she made a religious vow to fast from the first day of
its construction to the last.

58
Al-Qarawiyyin University went on to became an important center for education and one
of the first Islamic and most prestigious universities in the world. Alumni included
Andalusian scholar, poet and philosopher Ibn al-Arabi in 12th century, North African
historian and economist, Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century and Leo Africanus, an author
and renowned traveler of the 16th century.

A sundial casts a shadow to display the time of day at the historic Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez, Morocco, Sunday, Feb. 7,
2016.

A sundial casts a shadow to display the time of day at the historic Al-Qarawiyyin
University in Fez, Morocco, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.

In 1963, the university was incorporated into Morocco's modern state university system
under the supervision of the ministry of education. A new campus was established in
another part of Fez while the mosque and library remained.

Civil engineer and architect, Aziza Chaouni was commissioned in 2012 by the Moroccan
Ministry of Culture to rehabilitate the 1,157-year-old library which she confesses she
didn't know about.

"I knew about the mosque, but never even knew there was a library there," she told AP,
despite growing up in the city.

The librarys state of disrepair meant that Chaouni faced major challenges in her path.
At risk were centuries of knowledge contained in the many ancient manuscripts that
were at threat of being lost forever.

59
In rooms containing precious manuscripts dating back to the 7th century, the
temperature and moisture were uncontrolled, and there were cracks in the ceiling,
Chaouni told Ted.com

Throughout the years, the library underwent many rehabilitations, but it still suffered
from major structural problems, a lack of insulation, and infrastructural deficiencies like
a blocked drainage system, broken tiles, cracked wood beams, exposed electric wires,
and so on, she said.

As part of the UNESCO World Heritage list, Chaouni took special care to restore the
librarys original courtyard fountains as they formed part of the citys vast and ancient
water network.

The impressive library boasts more than 4,000 rare books and ancient Arabic
manuscripts dating back to the 9th century.

However, the oldest and most treasured asset of Al-Qarawiyyin library is a 9th century
Quran written on leather with Kufic calligraphy.

Arabic scripts at the time mostly consisted of Kufic calligraphy from the 7th century until
the 11th century and is a modified form of the old Nabataean script.

An original manuscript by Ibn Rochd on Maliki jurisprudence written in Andalusian style


calligraphy at the al-Qarawiyyin mosque.

Post renovation, the manuscripts are now kept in a secure room, with strict
temperature and humidity control. In the past, it was a different story.

"The original manuscript room door had four locks," said Abdelfattah Bougchouf,
curator of the Qarawiyyin library. "Each of those keys was kept with four different
people. In order to open the manuscript room, all four of those people had to physically
be there to open the door. "Now, he chuckled, "all of that has been replaced with a
four-digit security code."

Chaouni is lobbying to open a public exhibition room in the library for the first time.

The Culture Ministry accepted the idea but bureaucratic control over the site shifted to
the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. Chaouni worries that this shift will
squash her efforts.

60
Authorities are also concerned about the cost of keeping the previous manuscripts
secure.

To improve access to the manuscripts, the library has begun a process of digitizing
them. However, only 20 percent of the manuscripts is in electronic form and the work
continues.
Source:
TRTWorld and agencies
Photographs accompanying the article on Qarawiyyin Library by TRTWorld and agencies

AP/Books of the Qarawiyyin library reading room are pictured in the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez, Morocco

61
AP/The courtyard of Al-Qarawiyyin mosque.

AP/A prayer hall at the Qarawiyyin mosque

62
AP /A sundial casts a shadow to display the time of day at the historic Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez, Morocco, Sunday,
Feb. 7, 2016

AP/A plank of wood that is said to be Fatima al-Fihri's diploma, founder of Al-Qarawiyyin
63
AP/Curator of the Qarawiyyin library, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, opens an original version of Ibn Khaldun's most famous work
Muqadimmah, dating back to the 14th century at the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque.

AP/The fountain for ablutions before prayers is pictured in the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque.

64
AP/Abdelfattah Bougchouf, curator of the Qarawiyyin library, opens the first page of an original version of Ibn Khaldun's
most famous work, Muqadimmah, dating back to the 14th century at the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque.

AP/9th century Quran written on leather with Kufic calligraphy at Al-Qarawiyyin library.

65
AP/An original manuscript by Ibn Rochd on Maliki jurisprudence written in Andalusian style calligraphy at the al-
Qarawiyyin mosque.

AP/The reading room of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque/library

66
Description 13 of Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 13.
Title: Now You Can Visit the Oldest Library in the World
Writer: Leah Schnelbach, Mon Jun 13, 2016
Organization: TOR.com
Web Address: http://www.tor.com/2016/06/13/moroccos-al-qarawiyyin-library-oldest-in-world-newly-
renovated-and-open-to-visitors/
Detailed Description
Now You Can Visit the Oldest Library in the World
Leah Schnelbach
Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:45pm

http://www.tor.com/2016/06/13/moroccos-al-qarawiyyin-library-
oldest-in-world-newly-renovated-and-open-to-visitors/

al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, is the oldest library in the world, but until last
month, only researchers had access to it. Built in 859, the library was a beacon for
scholars, poets, and theologians for hundreds of years, but in recent years it had fallen
into terrible disrepair. Now a massive, three-year restoration effort hasnt just
revitalized the building its opened an ancient center of scholarship up to a new
generation of readers!

The center includes the large library, as well as a mosque and a university that may be
the oldest degree-granting institution in the world. It was founded by Fatima El-Fihriya,
a rich merchants daughter who dedicated her inheritance to building the center (a
habit that ran in her family, as her sister, Maryam, was the sponsor of Fezs Al-Andalus
mosque). After the Moroccan Ministry of Culture received a grant from Kuwaits Arab
Bank, they chose Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni, who grew up in Fez, to
head the project. Since 2012 she and her team have corrected structural damage and
painstakingly updated mosaics to preserved the librarys original beauty, while also
modernizing the space with an airy cafe, courtyard umbrellas and misting stations, and
a museum highlighting al-Qarawiyyins history.

As the center expanded in the 10th and 11th centuries, new facilities were added on
that ranged over several levels of surrounding hills, so one of the difficulties of
Chaounis job was to get each individual space up to the same standard of insulation
and wiring. In addition to that, she needed to restore centuries-old wooden beams, and
the delicate mosaic tiles called zellige, and faced the additional challenge that comes

67
with an ancient building, like say when you break through a wall and find a centuries-old
sewage system.

Chaouni, a TED fellow, talked to their Ideas blog about the restoration:

While working hard to protect and preserve, Chaouni had to bring a sense of 21st-
century pragmatism to the project. I didnt want the building to become an embalmed
cadaver! she says. There has to be a fine balance between keeping the original spaces,
addressing the needs of current users, including students, researchers and visitors, and
integrating new sustainable technologies solar panels, water collection for garden
irrigation, and so on. Another thing that needed updating: the librarys fountains.
Embedded within the dense urban fabric of the UNESCO World Heritage Medina of Fez,
fountains are part of the citys vast and ancient water network. Chaouni took special
care to restore the librarys original courtyard fountains, but where necessary, she
created them from scratch, using local materials and construction systems, and
introducing passive energy.

Another challenge was restoring the books themselves, as NPR relates. al-Qarawiyyin
houses texts including a 9th-century Quran written in Kufic calligraphy, the original copy
of Ibn Khalduns 14th Century Muqadimmah, a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence by
Ibn Rochd (known as Averroes in Europe), and the oldest known collection of Islamic
hadith, which are early accounts of the life and words of the Prophet Muhammed.

The al-Qarawiyyin Library opened to visitors last month, so those of you who are
Morocco-bound, be sure to check it out! And for the rest of us, you can learn more
about the project here and here, and see more images of al-Qarawayyins beautiful
mosaics here.

68
An example of the mosaic art of al-Qarawiyyin Library

69
The Librarys Restored Reading Room
Description 14 of The Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 14
Title: Moroccos al-Qarawiyyin Library renovating a hidden Cultural Masterpiece
Writer: Staff Writer The New Arab and Agencies
Organization: AlAraby
Web Address: https://alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2016/4/19 moroccos-al-qarawiyyin-library-
renovating-a-hidden-cultural-masterpiece.
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Detailed Description
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2016/4/19/moroccos-al-qarawiyyin-library-
renovating-a-hidden-cultural-masterpiece

As Morocco prepares to restore one of the oldest cultural centres in the world, many
are hoping that the privileges of using the magnificent al-Qarawiyyin library becomes
open to all.

Nestled in Morocco's old medina of Fez, one of the world's oldest, yet most
unknown, libraries, is due for a renovation.

Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman, Morocco's University of al-


Qarawiyyin library is home to unique Islamic manuscripts treasured by historians.

From calligraphic designs on the walls to ceramic patterns on the floors and wooden
carvings on the ceilings, the fingerprint of almost every ruling dynasty since the 9th
century can be seen in the architecture of the university.

Yet, this magnificent masterpiece has been largely hidden from the public. Until now,
the privilege of using the library has been limited to scholars who seek formal
permission and authorities haven't decided yet whether to change that.

As Morocco prepares to restore one of the oldest cultural centres in the world, many
are hoping that the privileges of using the magnificent al-Qarawiyyin library becomes
open to all

Restoration and renovation

From calligraphic designs on the walls to ceramic patterns on the


floors and wooden carvings on the ceilings, the fingerprint of
Formatted: Font: (Default) Arial, 11 pt, Font color:
almost every ruling dynasty since the 9th century can be seen in Black, English (United Kingdom), Pattern: Clear
the architecture of the university

71
The architect leading its restoration, Fez native Aziza Chaouni, didn't even know it
existed until she was asked to work on it.

Chaouni said she was pleasantly surprised when the Culture Ministry approached her in
2012 to work on the project especially in a field dominated by men.

She is hoping it will mark an ideological change, as well open to the public for the first
time in its long history.

"I knew about the mosque, but never even knew there was a library there," she said,
despite growing up in the city.

She specializes in restoring old buildings in a sustainable fashion, and is also trained as
an engineer, with degrees from Harvard and Columbia universities.

The restoration is fixing a plumbing issue that increasingly threatened to drench the
rare manuscripts in sewage water.

Chaouni is also lobbying for opening a public exhibition room for the first time calling
it "the biggest challenge of my soul" during the restoration project.

A devout and wealthy Muslim woman from the Tunisian town of


Kairaouan, Fatima al-Fihri, provided the endowment for building al-
Qarawiyyin in the 9th century

From mosque to university

A devout and wealthy Muslim woman from the Tunisian town of Kairaouan, Fatima al-
Fihri, provided the endowment for building al-Qarawiyyin in the 9th century.

Originally a mosque, it expanded in the 10th century to become a university.


The library houses a collection of manuscripts written by renowned thinkers from the
region, including Ibn Khaldun's Muqadimmah.

The 14th-century historical work spent six months on loan to the Louvre Museum in
Paris during the renovations, library curator Abdelfattah Bougchouf said.
Other texts include a 9th-century Quran written in Kufic calligraphy, and a manuscript
on the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence by Ibn Rochd, also known as Averroes.
72
The manuscripts are now kept in a secure room, with strict temperature and humidity
control. They weren't always kept like this, however.

"The original manuscript room door had four locks," Bougchouf told The Associated
Press.

"Each of those keys was kept with four different people. In order to open the
manuscript room, all four of those people had to physically be there to open the door."

Now, he chuckled, "all of that has been replaced with a four-digit security code."

The original manuscript room door had four locks... Each of those
keys was kept with four different people. In order to open the
manuscript room, all four of those people had to physically be
there to open the door

A previous renovation and expansion effort in 1940 opened up the library to foreigners
and non-Muslims by creating a separate entrance.

Before that, the only way to access the library was via the mosque.

Non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter the Qarawiyyin mosque to this day.

"It was a sign of tolerance," Abdelfattah said.

Since ascending to the throne in 1999, King Mohammed VI has called for restorations at
Qarawiyyin.

He is expected to inaugurate its reopening soon.DailyMail

Description 15 of The Qarawiyyin Library


Summary
Description 15
Title: Morocco: one of the world's oldest libraries is renovated
Writer: Staff Writer Published 19-04-2016 Updated April 28th 2017.
Organization: Daily Mail
Web Address: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3547178/Morocco-one-worlds-oldest- Field Code Changed
libraries-renovated.html
Detailed Description.
73
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3547178/Morocco-one-worlds-oldest-libraries-renovated.html

Daily Mail
Friday, Apr 28th 2017

Morocco: one of the world's oldest libraries is


renovated
By Associated Press

Published: 07:31, 19 April 2016 | Updated: 07:31, 19 April 2016

FEZ, Morocco (AP) The settling dust from renovations and the banging of tools aren't
ideal sights and sounds for a library but this is no ordinary library.

Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman and nestled in the old medina of Fez,
Morocco's University of al-Qarawiyyin library is one of the world's oldest libraries, home
to unique Islamic manuscripts treasured by historians. Yet it's been largely hidden from
the public. The architect leading its restoration, Fez native Aziza Chaouni, didn't even
know it existed until she was asked to work on it.

King Mohammed VI is expected to inaugurate its reopening soon. Chaouni is hoping it


will mark an ideological change, too, and open to the public for the first time in its long
history. Until now, the privilege of using the library has been limited to scholars who
seek formal permission, and authorities haven't decided yet whether to change that.

74
This April 14, 2016, photo shows the reading room of the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez, Morocco. Founded 12
centuries ago by a pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping up a careful restoration project and
King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the reopening. But authorities haven't decided whether the public
will be able to view its treasured Islamic manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university
researchers. (AP Photo/Samia Errazouki)

From calligraphic designs on the walls to ceramic patterns on the floors and wooden
carvings on the ceilings, the fingerprint of almost every ruling dynasty since the 9th
century can be seen in the architecture.

A devout and wealthy Muslim woman from the Tunisian town of Kairaouan, Fatima al-
Fihri, provided the endowment for building al-Qarawiyyin in the 9th century. Originally
a mosque, it expanded in the 10th century to become a university, Abdelmajid El-Marzi,
imam and administrator of the mosque, told The Associated Press.

The library houses a collection of manuscripts written by renowned thinkers from the
region, including Ibn Khaldun's "Muqadimmah." The 14th-century historical work spent
six months on loan to the Louvre Museum in Paris during the renovations, library
curator Abdelfattah Bougchouf said.

Other texts include a 9th-century Quran written in Kufic calligraphy, and a manuscript
on the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence by Ibn Rochd, also known as Averroes.
75
The manuscripts are now kept in a secure room, with strict temperature and humidity
control. They weren't always kept like this, however.

"The original manuscript room door had four locks," Bougchouf told The AP. "Each of
those keys was kept with four different people. In order to open the manuscript room,
all four of those people had to physically be there to open the door."

Now, he chuckled, "all of that has been replaced with a four-digit security code."

A previous renovation and expansion effort in 1940 opened up the library to foreigners
and non-Muslims by creating a separate entrance. Before that, the only way to access
the library was via the mosque. Non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter the Qarawiyyin
mosque to this day.

"It was a sign of tolerance," Abdelfattah said.

Since ascending to the throne in 1999, King Mohammed VI has called for restorations at
Qarawiyyin.

Architect Chaouni said she was pleasantly surprised when the Culture Ministry
approached her in 2012 to work on the project especially in a field dominated by
men.

"I knew about the mosque, but never even knew there was a library there," she said,
despite growing up in the city.

She specializes in restoring old buildings in a sustainable fashion, and is also trained as
an engineer, with degrees from Harvard and Columbia universities.

The restoration is fixing a plumbing issue that increasingly threatened to drench the
rare manuscripts in sewage water.

Chaouni is also lobbying for opening a public exhibition room for the first time - calling it
"the biggest challenge of my soul" during the restoration project.

The Culture Ministry accepted the idea but bureaucratic control over the site shifted to
the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. Chaouni worries that this shift will
squash her efforts. Authorities are also concerned about the cost of keeping the
previous manuscripts secure.

Another way to improve access to the manuscripts is to digitize them, which the library
has been doing, and about 20 percent are now available in electronic form.

76
Formatted: Pattern: Clear (White)

In this April 14, 2016, photo, curator of the Qarawiyyin library, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, opens an original
version of Ibn Khaldun's most famous work, Muqadimah

In this April 14, 2016, photo, curator of the Qarawiyyin library, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, opens an original
version of Ibn Khaldun's most famous work, Muqadimmah, dating back to the 14th century at the Al-
Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez, Morocco, Thursday, April 14, 2016. Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering
woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping up a careful restoration project and King Mohamed VI is
expected to preside over the reopening. But authorities haven't decided whether the public will be able to view
its treasured Islamic manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university researchers. (AP
Photo/Samia Errazouki)

77
In this April 14, 2016, photo, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, curator of the Qarawiyyin library, opens the first page of
an original version of Ibn Khaldun's most famous work, Muqadimmah, dating back to the 14th century at the
Al-Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez, Morocco. Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin
library is wrapping up a careful restoration project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the
reopening. But authorities haven't decided whether the public will be able to view its treasured Islamic
manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university researchers. (AP Photo/Samia Errazouki)

This April 14, 2016, photo, shows the fountain for abolutions before prayers is pictured in the Al-Qarawiyyin
mosque is pictured in Fez, Morocco. Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin
library is wrapping up a careful restoration project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the
reopening. But authorities haven't decided whether the public will be able to view its treasured Islamic
manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university researchers. (AP Photo/Samia Errazouki)

This April 14, 2016, photo shows the courtyard of Al-Qarawiyyin mosque is pictured in Fez, Morocco.
Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping up a careful
restoration project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the reopening. But authorities haven't
decided whether the public will be able to view its treasured Islamic manuscripts, or whether that privilege will
be limited to university researchers. (AP Photo/Samia Errazouki)

78
79
80
81
This April 14, 2016, photo shows books of the Qarawiyyin library reading room are
pictured in the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez, Morocco. Founded 12 centuries ago by a
pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping up a careful restoration
project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the reopening. But authorities
haven't decided whether the public will be able to view its treasured Islamic
manuscripts. Manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university Commented [SR1]:

researchers. (AP Photo/Samia Errazouki)Errazouki)

82
Samia Errazouki)

83
84
This April 14, 2016, photo shows a prayer hall of Al-Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez, Morocco.
Founded 12 centuries ago by a pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping
up a careful restoration project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the
85
reopening. But authorities haven't decided whether the public will be able to view its
treasured Islamic manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university
researchers. (AP Photo/Samia Errazouki)

86
87
+10
<img id="i-c8834bcf937566b4" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/04/19/article-
urn:publicid:ap.org:8f07a519e7cd48b58e33bd1babdced40-
4fZwcsD55y9c4bdb1c7c6fae33bb-128_634x845.jpg" height="845" width="634"
alt="This April 14, 2016, photo shows a plank of wood that is

This April 14, 2016, photo shows a plank of wood that is allegedly Fatima Fihri's
diploma, founder of Al-Qarawiyyin, in Fez, Morocco. Founded 12 centuries ago by a
pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping up a careful restoration
project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the reopening. But authorities
haven't decided whether the public will be able to view its treasured Islamic

88
manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university researchers. (AP
Photo/Samia Errazouki)

89
90
This April 14, 2016, photo, shows the oldest text of the Qarawiyyin library, a 9th century
Quran written on leather with Kufic calligraphy, in Fez, Morocco. Founded 12 centuries
ago by a pioneering woman, the al-Qarawiyyin library is wrapping up a careful
restoration project and King Mohamed VI is expected to preside over the reopening. But
authorities haven't decided whether the public will be able to view its treasured Islamic
manuscripts, or whether that privilege will be limited to university researchers. (AP
Photo/Samia Errazouki)
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3547178/Morocco-one-worlds-oldest-libraries-
renovated.html#ixzz4fWhzYKKc
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Description 16 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 16
Title: The Worlds Oldest Working Library Will Soon Open Its Doors to the Public
Writer: Danny Lewis, July 13, 2016
Organization: Smithsonian.com
Web Address: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-working-library-will-soon-open-to-
the-public-180959670/#QOFc2XTFtBjOwvTX.99

Detailed Description.

The Worlds Oldest Working Library Will Soon


Open Its Doors to the Public
By Danny Lewis

smithsonian.com
July 13, 2016

91
After renovations wrap up in September, the library at Moroccos al-Qarawiyyin
University will debut an exhibition section for non-scholars

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-working-


library-will-soon-open-to-the-public-180959670/#QOFc2XTFtBjOwvTX.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-working-


library-will-soon-open-to-the-public-180959670/#zmUHE0ziOrapEy8v.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

When the library at Moroccos al-Qarawiyyin University was first built in the 9th
century, it was one of the worlds great centers for learning. Scholars from around the
world traveled to Fez to visit the library and peruse its books, and today it is the oldest
continually operating library in the world, Selina Cheng reports for Quartz. But soon
students and researchers won't be the only ones with access to the storied library. The
architect in charge of a lengthy restoration project to the library, Aziza
Chaouni, confirmed to Smithsonian.com that after renovations wrap in September, the
library will be debuting a wing for the general public's use for the first time in history.

92
Founded in 859 by Fatima Al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant living in Fez, the
al-Qarawiyyin Library holds a remarkable collection of centuries-old texts, such as a 9th-
century Quran, the original copy of the 14th-century historical text, the Muqaddimah of
Ibn Khaldun and the oldest-known collection of accounts of the Prophet Muhammads
life and writings, Leah Schnelbach writes for Tor. For centuries, historians and scholars
traveled across the world to peruse the librarys shelves. However, the library fell into
disrepair. After centuries of neglect, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture
approached architect Chaouni to restore the library in 2012.

When I first visited, I was shocked at the state of the place, architect Chaouni tells
Karen Eng for TED.com. In rooms containing precious manuscripts dating back to the
7th century, the temperature and moisture were uncontrolled, and there were cracks in
the ceiling.

image: https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/3a/0d/3a0d80e4-2209-48fd-
8a2f-990c76627e53/pastedgraphic-3.pngHistorically, only students and researchers
93
were allowed inside the library. When Chaouni took on the massive restoration project,
she worked on it with the intention to include a space for the public to use, as well.

The main door to the al-Qarawiyyin Library. (Kareem Shaheen) prior to the Renovation

Since that time, Chaouni has overhauled the building, installing modern equipment to
help preserve the ancient documents on display. While the renovated library features
new amenities like a cafe and misting stations to help visitors beat the heat,
Chaouni and her team also focused their attention on restoring the building's most
94
historic features, like the intricate tilework that covered the librarys walls and floors as
well as repairing structural damage to the buildings millennia-old wooden beams,
Schnelbach reports.

The original manuscript room door had four locks. Each of those keys was kept with
four different people, library curator Abdelfattah Bougchouf tells Larbi Arbaoui for Morocco
World News. In order to open the manuscript room, all four of those people had to
physically be there to open the door. All of that has been replaced with a four-digit
security code.

In just a few months, the public will be able to see the hard work that went into the
restoration for themselves, and walk alongside the universitys scholars and students to
explore al-Qarawiyyin Library's historical treasures.

image: https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/63/e7/63e7849c-db82-4b66-979e-
94366e59bf44/pastedgraphic-4.png

The renovated reading room in the al-Qarawiyyin Library. (Kareem Shaheen)


95
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public-180959670/#zmUHE0ziOrapEy8v.99
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Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

About the Author:


Danny Lewis is a multimedia journalist working in print, radio, and illustration. He
focuses on stories with a health/science bent and has reported some of his favorite
pieces from the prow of a canoe. Danny is based in Brooklyn, NY.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-oldest-working-


library-will-soon-open-to-the-public-180959670/#QOFc2XTFtBjOwvTX.99
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Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

Description 17 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 17..
Title: Worlds Oldest Library in Morocco to reopen in May
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: World Bulletin
Web Address: http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/170060/worlds-oldest-library-in-morocco-to-reopen-in-
may
Detailed Description
World's oldest library in Morocco to reopen in May

96
The ancient al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, founded in 859 by a woman, is the oldest
working library in the world, holding ancient manuscripts that date as far back as 12
centuries and will reopen in May after a major renovation.

World Bulletin / News Desk

The Moroccan Ministry of Culture on receiving a multimillion dollar grant requested


Canadian-Moroccoan architect Aziza Chaouni the historic al-Qarawiyyin library to
safeguard its contents and make it suitable for public use, according to TED, an
educational non-profit organization.

The al-Qarawiyyin complex, which includes a mosque, library, and university, was
founded in 859 AD by Fatima El-Fihriya, the daughter of a rich immigrant to Fez from
modern-day Tunisia. Well educated and devout, she vowed to invest her entire
inheritance on a mosque and knowledge center for her new home.

Well educated and devout, she vowed to spend her entire inheritance on building a
mosque and knowledge center for her community. According to UNESCO, the result is
the oldest operational educational institution in the world, with a high-profile role call
of alumni. Mystic poet and philosopher Ibn Al-Arabi studied there in the 12th century,
historian and economist Ibn Khaldun attended in the 14th century, while in medieval
times, Al-Qarawiyyin played a leading role in the transfer of knowledge between
Muslims and Europeans.

97
Precious manuscripts under threat
Th deteriorating condition meant precious manuscripts were under threat from the
elements. When I first visited, I was shocked at the state of the place, says Chaouni.
In rooms containing precious manuscripts dating back to the 7th century, the
temperature and moisture were uncontrolled, and there were cracks in the ceiling. At
risk: ancient volumes covering centuries of knowledge in fields from theology to law,
grammar to astronomy. Although scholars were given access to the materials, the
librarys deteriorating condition meant it had long been closed to the public.

Chaouni said her team took special care to revive and imitate the buildings original
features, such as the fountains and the intricate zaleej tilework. The rebuilt library will
also use sustainable technologies such as solar panels and rainwater collection
systems to prepare it for the future.

Structural Challenges

Throughout the years, the library underwent many renovations, but it still suffered from
major structural problems, a lack of insulation, and infrastructural deficiencies like a
blocked drainage system, broken tiles, cracked wood beams, exposed electric wires, and
so on, says Chaouni of the practical architectural challenges she faced.

Cleaning delicate plaster carvings without breaking them was hard, too. And the project
was full of surprises: One of the startling aspects about restoring a building this old is
that you never know whats behind a wall. You could scrap it and find a painting, take
out the painting and find a door and so on. We discovered some unexpected things,
especially underground, such as a centuries-old sewage system.

Preserving the past but with the future in mind

I didnt want the building to become an embalmed cadaver! she says. There has to
be a fine balance between keeping the original spaces, addressing the needs of current
users, including students, researchers and visitors, and integrating new sustainable
technologies solar panels, water collection for garden irrigation, and so on.

Another thing that needed updating was the librarys fountains. Embedded within the
dense urban fabric of the UNESCO World Heritage Medina of Fez, fountains are part of
the citys vast and ancient water network. Chaouni took particular care to restore the
librarys original courtyard fountains, but in certains place where necessary, she created
them from scratch, using local materials and construction systems, and introducing
passive energy.

After three years of work, the library will open in May 2016.
98
The public will be able to walk through a complex that includes a reading room, book
stacks, a conference room, a manuscript restoration laboratory, and a rare books
collection along with new administrative offices and a caf.

Chaouni also commissioned furniture from local craftsmen who used local native wood,
and built courtyard umbrellas that provide shade and mist on hot summer days.
Meanwhile, the 12th-century cupola will host permanent and temporary exhibition
spaces. A proud, tired Chaouni is today adding important final touches, and looking
forward to welcoming the librarys first guests. Both Moroccans and foreign visitors
will get to glimpse, for the first time, some of the librarys amazing and unique
manuscripts, as well as to enjoy its architecture.

Description 18 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 18.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Library Will Soon Open to the Public
Writer: Melanie Lieberman September 20, 2016
Organization: Travel and Leisure.com
Web Address: http://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/landmarks-monuments/oldest-library-
qarawiyyin-reopens-fez-morocco

Detailed Description
The Worlds Oldest Library Will Soon Open to the Public

99
By Melanie Lieberman September 20, 2016
http://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/landmarks-monuments/oldest-library-qarawiyyin-
reopens-fez-morocco

Izzet Keribar/Getty Images


And visitors from across the world are welcome.

A multi-million-dollar restoration of the oldest library in the world is almost complete.

A wing of the Qarawiyyin Library, founded in Fez in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, will open to
the public before the end of the year.

The library has been undergoing massive renovations for three years. Engineers and
craftsmen examined the building's structural integrity, repaired broken tiles, reinforced
carved wooden archways and restored the landmark's fountains.

100
Silvrshootr/Getty Images

Silvrshootr/Getty Images
Silvrshootr/Getty Images
Gabriel Jecan/Getty Images
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While the library itself is beautiful, with its arches and courtyards, its most prized relics
are all secured within. According to The Guardian, four locks once secured the librarys
most coveted ancient works, like a ninth-century Quran written on camel skin in Kufic
script. The keys were dispersed to four individual guardians. Today, 4,000 rare books and
manuscripts, including an original copy of Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah and the earliest
collection of Islamic hadiths, are protected in temperature and humidity controlled
rooms.

Pinterest

Izzet Keribar/Getty Images

Aziza Chaouni, a Fez native, was the architect that restored the library.

102
I would like my kids to be able to see this heritage, she told The Guardian. She also
has plans to revitalize the river that runs through Fez.

DeAgostini/Getty Images)

Locals and visitors in the colorful city will have access to an exhibition of rare books, a
reading room, a caf, and more.

Melanie Lieberman is the Associate Digital Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on
Twitter and Instagram at @melanietaryn.

Description 19 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 19.
Title: You Can Visit the World's Oldest Library in Fez, Morocco & As old as Algebra3
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: Curiosity.Com
Web Address: https://curiosity.com/topics/you-can-visit-the-worlds-oldest-library-in-fez-morocco-curiosity/

Detailed Description
You Can Visit The World's Oldest Library in Fez, Morocco
https://curiosity.com/topics/you-can-visit-the-worlds-oldest-library-in-fez-
morocco-curiosity/
Imagine heading to the library for some light reading and picking up a 9th-century
Quran or a 10th-century account of the Prophet Muhammad's life. Both works, as well
103
as 4,000 other rare books, can be found at the world's oldest continually operating
library. Al-Qarawiyyin library in Fez, Morocco opened in 1359 AD, (Editorial Note: This d
ate of 1359 AD is not in congruence with the Universally accepted date of the building
of this Library in 859AD) inside the world's oldest university, which was built in 859 AD
and bears the same name. The library has since been restored to its former glory, and
the precious documents that were once under lock and key are now available to the
public.

Women Get Stuff Done


You can thank two boss women for your access to this historic space. First, Fatima El-
Fihriyathe. This wealthy Muslim woman founded both the university and the library
because she had a passion for knowledge and was curious about the world. She also
attended the university. Don't believe us? According to Business Insider, you can see her
original diploma on a wooden board in the library. You could say she was a woman
before her time.

Next, you can thank Aziza Chaouni and her team of architects for the building's major
renovation. The engineers had some formidable tasks ahead of them, like rebuilding the
library's foundations, installing a new sewage system, and re-tiling the iconic green roof.
To prevent humidity from harming the works even further, they installed air
104
conditioning. Other modern improvements were made, such as installing solar panels,

built for restoring precious manuscripts."

105
As Old As Algebra
Al-Qarawiyyin university is only 30 years younger than the city of Fez itself and was built
around the time early forms of algebra were being invented. Pretty crazy, huh? Imagine
that as you feast your eyes on Morocco's best kept secret and visit the library's
exhibition room. Feel free to read the works of renowned scholarsif you can
understand Arabic, anyway.
Morocco revamps world's oldest university
Al Jazeera English

Description 20 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 20
Title: This is a Womens Story: Revitalizing the Worlds Oldest Library
Writer: Bridey Heing
Organization: Hazlitt
Web Address: http://hazlitt.net/feature/womens-story-revitalizing-worlds-oldest-library

Detailed Description
This is a Womens Story: Revitalizing
the Worlds Oldest Library
BY BRIDEY HEING

http://hazlitt.net/feature/womens-story-revitalizing-worlds-oldest-library

Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni was determined to make ancient manuscripts


accessible to the public and this article is a transcript of an interview that Bridey Heing
had with the Architect.
Interview
July 6, 2016

Bridey is a freelance writer and reviewer based in Washington, DC...

106
Al-Qarawiyyin library has stood for centuries in the heart of Fezs ancient medina. The
opulent building, with golden doors and intricate tile, is the worlds oldest library, home
to ancient manuscripts. Run by the University of al-Qarawiyyin, it has long been closed
off to all but a few scholars, as crucial repairs went undone. After centuries of use and
years of neglect, it stood in a state of sorry disrepair.

Into that disrepair stepped Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni, and over the past two
years she has overseen the rehabilitation of this UNESCO-recognized site. Chaouni, who
has a unique family connection to the building, also fought for something she never had
growing up in Fez: A chance for the public to explore the treasures it holds. Here,
Chaouni shares the challenges of restoring the building, which is set to re-open this
summer, what al-Qarawiyyin means to her, and how ultimately the story of the library is
a story of women challenging a patriarchal culture.
107
Bridey Heing: Your work is focused on a very interesting intersection of humanitarian work,
sustainability, and architecture. How did you get involved in this kind of work?

Aziza Chaouni: Im from Fez, which has the largest medina, or ancient city, in the world.
So, when youre growing up in the city, youre very amazed by the architecture and all
the detailing. Its a city thats twelve centuries old, and so I think that I was affected by
that. And by my aunt, who was an architect. I looked up to her and thought it was very
cool what she was doing.

But I really felt that I wanted to become an architect when I worked for Renzo Piano, an
Italian architect. I was already in grad school, but when I worked for him I understood
what kind of architect I wanted to be. Hes a very humane and generous person, and I
understood that I didnt want to do commercial architecture. I wanted to do projects
that have a soul and a history, and even if they are new, they have an innovative edge
and make peoples lives better.

Growing up in Fez, how aware were you of al-Qarawiyyin? What place does it hold in the
publics mind?

It has an, I would say, sort of mystical role, both for the people of Fez and in my family
because my great grandfather came [from the northern city of Chaon] on a donkeys
back to attend the university adjacent to the library. Of course, he spent hours in the
library, and he became a lawyer. So, the library, in my family, was a very important
place, and within Fez, as well, because it has one of the oldest manuscripts in the
Middle East.

It was almost this very mystical, holy place, and the main problem when I was growing
up was that it was not opened to the public. I did not set foot in the library until I was
asked to give advice on what needed to be rehabilitated. You had to be a researcher to
have access to it. When I was asked to do the rehabilitation, my goal was to make part
of it opened to the public, so that some of these manuscripts can be exhibited there,
and so that Moroccans can learn more about their history.

What was your overarching vision for this project? Your work focuses as much on
development as on societal contribution: How do you feel al-Qarawiyyin fits into that
framework?

108
For me, first, it was to make accessible some of the manuscripts that are only accessible
to very few scholars. The manuscripts are poetry, mathematics, law, etc. They really tell
the story of Morocco and Moroccan culture, and I thought it was important to exhibit
some of them with explanatory texts.

Secondly, to tell the incredible story of this library because it was a woman who created
it. I think its a very important moment to say that in 812 [Fatima al-Fihri] decided to
give all the money she inherited to create this center of knowledge, which has not
ceased to function to this day. It was a woman in the Ministry of Culture who contacted
me, so it is in a way a story of women. She heard about me, had read about my work,
and contacted me out of the blue. I like that this is a womens story.

Was that something you reflected on during the project? Given the place of women in
literature and academia, do you feel the prominent role of women in this librarys history is
significant?

I think its a message for a lot of Moroccan women that, first of all, you can be an
architect. Its still a job here in Morocco thats dominated by males, so I think its
important. But on the other hand, this story is a story of me trying to change mens
mentality. One hundred percent of the clients were dealing with on the commission,
Ive had to convince it was worth it to open the library to the public. I thought it was
important that they experience this space as well, because its our heritage.

Everywhere in the world, and especially in Morocco, women still have a very large battle
to fight, Were still not taken seriously.

Youve been involved on such a wide range of projectshow was this one different? What
unique challenges did it pose?

The fact that it is in the medina. We had to be very inventive about how you work in a
very dense and constrained site. That was a very big challenge. The second challenge
was that when you deal with such a huge, important, historic building you worry that if
you rehabilitate a wall, you might make the one next to it weak and it might fall. The
building was built over centuries, so you never know what youre going to find when
you peel back plaster. The fear of the unknownits why a lot of architects in Morocco
dont want to work in the Medina.

109
What was it like seeing it come together?

Its wonderful. I was just there, and I cannot describe it. All the manuscripts were in
dangerthere were cracks in the walls, water might have gotten in. So I contributed a
little bit to safeguarding them and opening up this treasure to the public and younger
generations. I wish that when I was young I could have gone into the library and learned
more about it. And I cant stop thinking about my great grandfather. He came here and
met my great grandmother.

What is your hope for this next chapter of al-Qarawiyyins life?

I think for Moroccans, they would want to enter but they had to take photos from the
door. For them its like a mysterywhats behind this beautiful door? So the next step is
to see how people use it. As an architect theres always an element of surprisehow
are people going to use the space and transform the space? Im always excited to see
how people will transform a space. Sometimes they use it in ways that are unexpected
and I never would have thought about. I think that its going to have a new life.

Find us on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter

Bridey is a freelance writer and reviewer based in Washington, DC. More of her work
can be found at brideyheing.com.

Description 21 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 21.
Title: The Worlds Oldest Library Has Reopened
Writer: Eric Grundhauser
Organization: Atlas Obscura
Web Address: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/university-of-alkaraouine

Detailed Description
THE BLOG

07/06/2016 01:16 pm ET | Updated Jul 06, 2016

The Worlds Oldest Library Has Reopened


By Atlas Obscura

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By Eric Grundhauser, originally posted on Atlas ObscuraThe worlds oldest working library at
the al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez, Morocco is once again open and ready for visitors,
having been closed for massive restorations since 2012, according to Tech Insider.

The al-Qarawiyyin library is part of an educational complex that began as a mosque in


859. Originally founded by Fatima El-Fihriya, the wealthy daughter of a Tunisian
immigrant, the historic site was meant to be a center of knowledge and worship. By the
10th century, the university portion of the site, along with the library proper had been
established in full. The multiple courtyards and ornate interiors were decorated with
lovely Arabesque calligraphy and tile work adorning the floors, walls, and ubiquitous
arches, making it a beautiful architectural, as well as academic artifact.

But after operating for over a millennia, the state of the al-Qarawiyyin library had
severely declined by the 21st century. Cracks in the walls, unregulated humidity, and
even infiltrating sewage were threatening to ruin the ancient collection of texts, which
addressed everything from law to astronomy, dating back as far as the 7th century,
according to TED.com. Even the beautiful courtyard fountains and mosaics have begun
to fall apart. The library had been closed to the public for years when architect Aziza
Chaouni was commissioned to restore the site.

Now, after years of delicate work on the ancient library, Chaounis efforts have paid off,
and the site is once again open to the public, as of May. The library looks almost as good
as 9th century new. Chaouni made sure to use as authentic as possible materials in
fixing the site, and what she couldnt repair, she simply recreated. In addition, she took
special care to make sure that the library is actually usable to researchers and scholars
as well, adding new furniture and solar panels for sustainable power.

The library is already receiving a number of tourists who can now wander the same
stacks and sprawling courtyards that scholars first did over a thousand years ago.

Description 22 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 22.
Title: Restoring the World's Oldest Library: Keynote by Aziza Chaouni
Writer / Speaker: Aziza Chaouni 24th October, The Atrium, Building 4, Dubai Design District (d3)
Organization: Dubai Design Week
Web Address: http://www.dubaidesignweek.ae/2016-programme/restoring-the-worlds-oldest-library-
keynote-by-aziza-chaouni/

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Detailed Description

Restoring the World's Oldest Library: Keynote by


Aziza Chaouni
Talk
24 October | 7 - 8pm
The Atrium, Building 4, Dubai Design District (d3)

The Qaraweyeen Library was founded in 859, as part of the Qaraweyeen Mosque and
University in Fez, Morocco. The Qaraweyeen complex (Mosque University Library) is
considered the oldest existing, continually operating and the first degree awarding
educational institution in the world according to UNESCO. The creation of the
Qaraweyeen complex was the brainchild of a woman and Fes Resident, Fatima El-Fihriya
who wished to make knowledge available to all residents of her city and beyond.

Through the restoration and adaptation of the librarys historic buildings to meet the
needs of local users, the recent restoration of the library by architect Aziza Chaouni was
an opportunity to further extend and develop Fatima El-Fihriyas legacy.
About Aziza Chaouni

Aziza Chaouni studied civil engineering and architecture at Columbia University and
Harvard Graduate School of Design where she graduated cum laude (2000) and with
Distinction (2005) respectively.

In 2007 she co-founded Bureau E.A.S.T. with Takako Tajima, before launching her own
practice, Aziza Chaouni Projects (ACP) in 2011. Together, Bureau E.A.S.T and Aziza have
won several top design Awards and Recognitions including the Holcim Gold Award for
Sustainable Construction (2009).

Aziza has been honored with a TED Talk for her architectural work in reviving the Fez
river that runs through her hometown of Fez, Morocco. She is currently an Assistant
Professor at the Daniels School of Architecture Landscape and Design at the University
of Toronto, where she leads the Designing Ecological Tourism Lab (DET).

In 2012, Aziza was commissioned by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture to oversee the
lengthy restoration of the oldest functioning library in the world, at
Qarawiyine University in Morocco.

112
Description 23 of The Qarawiyyin Library.
Summary
Description 23.
Title: It is time to visit the worlds oldest library in Morocco
Writer: Muftah
Organization: Muftah.Org
Web Address: https://muftah.org/worlds-oldest-library-morocco/#.WRsYsIWcFPY

Detailed Description

al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, was founded in 859 with an endowment by


Fatima El-Fihriya, a wealthy Muslim woman from what is today Tunisia. Twelve
centuries later, following an extensive restoration program led by architect and Fez-
native, Aziz Chaouni, the library has opened its doors with a newly constructed wing for
the general public.

The library, which is recognized by UNESCO as the oldest operational educational


institution in the world, has undergone many reconstructions throughout the centuries,
but as Chaouni told TED, the site suffered from major structural problems. You never know whats
behind a wall, she said, You could scrap it and find a painting, take out the painting and find a door.

Support our work. Advertise on Muftah.

The various buildings in the complex lacked modern insulation, as well as other
deficiencies like a blocked drainage system, broken tiles, cracked wood beams,
exposed electric wires, and so on, Chaouni says. When she first visited the rooms that
stored the librarys ancient manuscripts, the temperature and moisture were
uncontrolled, and there were cracks in the ceiling.

The library is home to over 4,000 rare books, some of which were temporarily stored at
the Louvre Museum in Paris, during the renovations. One of our key roles, beside
rehabilitating the stacks, reading room, and manuscript restoration laboratories, is to
introduce exhibition rooms that will showcase, for the first time, manuscripts to the
public as well as the history of the al-Qarawiyyin complex, Chaouni told Sixty7 Architecture
Road.

Some of the works in the collection include a ninth-century Quran written in Kufic
calligraphy, manuscripts on Islamic jurisprudence by renowned scholars, such as
Averroes and many other scholars from the region, Abdelmajid El-Marzi, imam and
administrator of the mosque and library, told the AP.Moroccos Ministry of Culture
113
commissioned Chaouni to rehabilitate the ancient complex in 2012. In planning its
restoration, Chaouni sought a fine balance between keeping the original spaces,
addressing the needs of current users, including students, researchers and visitors, and
integrating new sustainable technologies. Over the last three years, her team
equipped the library with solar panels, a new gutter system, digital locks to the rare
books room and air conditioning that will help control humidity and protect books in the
library, according to Quartz.

114
Al-Qarawiyyin Complex in Fez, Morocco (Photo Credit Konsali/Wikimedia)

115
116

Al-Qarawiyyin complex in Fez, Morocco, (Photo credit: Jerzystrzelecki /Wikimedia)


Sam Khanlari is a Toronto-based writer and has contributed to the Toronto Star, CBC
News, VICE, The Islamic Monthly, among others. His research revolves around U.S.Iran
relations, U.S. government and foreign policy in the Middle East, and nuclear diplomacy.
Sam is a history and political science graduate from the University of Toronto, with a
certificate in international trade and finance. His research revolves around U.S.Iran
relations, U.S. government and foreign policy in the Middle East, and nuclear diplomacy.
Sam is a history and political science graduate from the University of Toronto, with a
certificate in international trade and finance.

Description 24 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 24.
Title: How the Worlds oldest library was restored
Writer: April 21, 2016 by Faena Aleph
Organization: Faena.com/Avant Urbanism
Webb Address: http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/how-the-worlds-oldest-library-was-
restored/

Detailed Description
http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/how-the-worlds-oldest-library-was-restored/

Menu How the worlds oldest library was restored


April 21, 2016 by Faena Aleph
Posted in: Avant Urbanism

117
The al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, recovered all of its splendor and re-opens its doors to the public
in 2016.
This year, the oldest library in Africa will re-open to the public. And its not only the
worlds oldest operating library, but also one of the most beautiful of its kind. In Fez,
Morocco, the al-Qarawiyyin was founded in 859 and contains manuscripts up to 12
centuries old. And though it never stopped receiving visitors, the buildings had fallen
into such disrepair that in 2012 the Moroccan Ministry of Culture asked the architect
and TED Fellow Aziza Chaouni to rehabilitate the library for the general public.
This story has two big surprises. The first is that al-Qarawiyyin was built by a woman,
which challenges the common assumptions about womens contributions to Muslim
civilization. The second is that the restoration of the library was enormously successful.
The result is true beauty.

The al-Qarawiyyin, which includes a mosque, a library and a university was founded by
Fatima Al-Fihri, the daughter of a rich merchant in al-Qayrawan, which is todays Tunisia.
The resulting library, according to UNESCO, welcomed high profile students. Among them
the mystic poet and philosopher, Ibn Al-Arabi, in the twelfth century, and historian and
economist, Ibn Khaldun, in the fourteenth century. In the Middle Ages the library played
an important role in the transmission of knowledge between Muslims and Europeans.
118
Turning to the architecture, the library consists of several buildings interconnected by
bridges. Each bridge was placed at a different level on the side of the mountain. Between
them are courtyards with fountains and inside are reading rooms, a conference room, a
laboratory for the restoration of manuscripts, administrative offices and a cafeteria.
Chaounis challenge was to find similar materials to replace broken or missing pieces of
mosaics, and to clean the plaster reliefs without breaking them. But in the process he
found several surprises:

One of the startling aspects about restoring a building this old is that you never know
whats behind a wall. You could scrap it and find a painting, take out the painting and find
a door and so on. We discovered some unexpected things, especially underground,
such as a centuries-old sewage system.

119
As of May 2016, the public can again walk through the beautiful complex that not only
retains the past, intact, but which serves modern needs with databases and sustainable
technologies such as solar panels and water collection for irrigation. Chaouni Azizas
work, which lasted more than four years, is invaluable for the preservation of Muslim
culture and, of course, the worlds culture, aesthetics and knowledge, too.

This year, the oldest library in Africa will re-open to the public. And its not only the
worlds oldest operating library, but also one of the most beautiful of its kind. In Fez,
Morocco, the al-Qarawiyyin was founded in 859 and contains manuscripts up to 12
centuries old. And though it never stopped receiving visitors, the buildings had fallen into
such disrepair that in 2012 the Moroccan Ministry of Culture asked the architect and TED
Fellow Aziza Chaouni to rehabilitate the library for the general public.

120
121
Description 25 of The Qarawiyyin Library.
Summary
Description 25.
Title: Worlds Oldest Library in Morocco To Regain Lost Glory
Writer: Fredrick Ngugi
Organization: Face2Face Africa
Webb Address: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/al-qarawiyyin-library
Detailed Description
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/al-qarawiyyin-library

122
The worlds oldest library al-Qarawiyyin, according to UNESCO and the Guinness World
Records, has regained its lost glory thanks to a major renovation being carried out by a
team of Moroccan engineers.

The project, which has been commissioned by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture,
involves top local architects, including Aziza Chaouni who is the head of the project, and
is expected to give the ancient structure a bespoke facelift in line with the 21st century
architectural standards, reports CNN.

The renovation involves a reconstruction of the foundations, installation of a new


sewage line, and the restoration of the buildings iconic green roof.

The sooner we can open the library, the better as every day there are researchers who
find out that the library is still closed. The quicker we can finish it, the happier it will
make us, Abdelfattah Bougcouf, a curator at the al-Qarawiyyin library, says.

Worlds Oldest Library

Huddled within the busy city of Fez, in northeastern Morocco, the al-Qarawiyyin library
is the property of the University of al-Qarawiyyin, which is the worlds oldest
university.

The library was built in 1359 AD Editorial Note (This date is very debatable for the universally
acknowledged date is 859 AD) and houses some of the countrys precious artifacts,

123
including important manuscripts considered to be among the earliest copies to be
produced in Islamic history.

A curator inspects one of the oldest manuscripts found in al-Qarawiyyin Library. TRT
World

Some of the oldest manuscripts found here include a 9th century Quran, a 10th century
account of Prophet Muhammads life, and influential scientific and medical textbooks.

We were always discovering things as we were ripping out walls Chauni says.

The university was founded in 859 AD as a mosque by Fatima Al-Fihri, the daughter of a
wealthy Arab merchant from Tunisia.

124
In the available records, Al-Fihri is described as a young woman fascinated by
knowledge and curious about the world.

She supervised the construction of the mosque (now al-Qarawiyyin University) from
start to finish and continued to attend lectures by prominent scholars who taught at
the mosque until her final days.

Inside the al-Qarawiyyin library in Morocco. Photo credit: Roughly Daily

Although the university has since been moved to another location within Fez, the
mosque and the library still remain at the old establishment, attracting thousands of
local and foreign tourists every year.

Students and researchers from far and wide have drawn from the librarys carefully
curated manuscripts and other important records for years, giving both old and young
generations a rare window in to Moroccos past as the pioneer of Islamic art and
science.

Fredrick Ngugi

Contributor, F2FA

Fredrick is a Kenyan journalist with years of experience in freelance writing. Before


joining Face2FaceAfrica, he worked as a web content writer for various local and
international corporations including 4 Wheel Online, Web Partner Group, Wedding
125
Services Kenya, and Decadent Daylilies. He is also an avid blogger, political
commentator and human rights crusader.

Description 26 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 26
Title: Worlds Oldest Library Opens to The Public
Writer: Staff Writer, October 2016
Organization: In the News.
Webb Address: https://hmhinthenews.com/worlds-oldest-library-opens-to-the-public/

Detailed Description

Detailed Description
https://hmhinthenews.com/worlds-oldest-library-opens-to-the-public/
October 2016
Worlds Oldest Library Opens to the Public

126
Shown here is the reading room at the al-Qarawiyyin Library and an ancient edition
from the librarys rare books collection (inset, top right).

Imagine having a secret library where you live that is more than 1,000 years old. The city
of Fez in the country of Morocco has such a library. Many people knew about it, but
only scholars, or people who are experts in the subjects they study, were allowed inside
to see the books. Now the library is finally open to the public. What treasures do think
visitors might be finding among those rare, ancient books?

Fezs al-Qarawiyyin (ahlkahrahweeyihn) Library is the worlds oldest library. Fatima


al-Fihri (fahtuhmah ahlfih-hih-ree), the daughter of a rich merchant from Tunisia,
founded the library in A.D. 859. She also founded the university connected to the library
and a nearby mosquea place of worship for those who follow Islam.

Unfortunately, the buildings associated with the library had not been well taken care of.
Their poor condition began to threaten the books. Among other problems, rainwater
poured from the roof of the mosque onto the roof of the library and leaked into the
building.

As anyone can tell you, books and water dont mix well. It fell to Aziza Chaouni
(ahzeezuh chounee) to prevent this disaster. Born in Fez and now living in Canada,
Chaouni is the architect hired in 2012 by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture to restore
and refurbish the library so that it could be opened to the public.

Chaouni and her team worked for three years on this project. The work involved more
than just repairing damage to buildings. Chaounis team also needed to repair the
mosaics decorating the building. A mosaic is a kind of art made by arranging small tiles
into patterns. Other parts of the project included updating the buildings electrical
wiring and installing a new plumbing system to prevent water leaks. Chaouni and her
127
team also added a reading room, book stacks, a conference room, a manuscript
restoration laboratory, modern security system, and a climate-controlled area for the
librarys rare books collection.

One of the librarys most prized possessions is a copy of the Quran, the holy book of
Islam, from the A.D. 800s. It was written on camel skin in flowing Kufic script, the oldest
form of Arabic calligraphy. Other rare works in the collection include a manuscript on
Islamic legal theory by Ibn Rushd (ihbuhn rushd) as well as the oldest known collection
of accounts of the life and words of Muhammad, the prophet who founded the religion
of Islam.

Librarians are hard at work digitizing the nearly 4,000 volumes in the librarys collection.
So far, about one fifth of the collection is now available in electronic form. The most
important news for the people of Fez, however, is that the once mysterious and private
al-Qarawiyyin Library is now open for everyone to enjoy.Image creditmain photo and
inset: Samia Errazouki/AP Images

Description 27 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary.
Description 27.
Title: The Oldest Library in the world, restored.
Writer: Written by Adam Spera, on July 19 2016.
Organization: BookStr
Web Address: https://www.bookstr.com/article/restoring-the-oldest-library-in-the-world/1876

Detailed Description
https://www.bookstr.com/article/restoring-the-oldest-library-in-the-world/1876

The Oldest Library in the World, Restored


A library threatened by terrorism stands strong

128
Published July 19, 2016

Harvard graduate Aziza Chaouni is accomplishing some remarkable things in Fez


Morocco. After restoring the Fez River, which was crucial to the survival of the city,
Aziza began working on another important project: restoring the oldest library in the
world.

The name of the library is al-Qarawiyyin and it has been in operation since the 9th
century. The original founder was a woman named Fatima al Fihira. Both of these
woman, Fatima and Aziza, have done great work in the preservation and continuation of

ancient knowledge.

Image courtesy of http://bit.ly/2aqYUbi

In Azizas recent interview with Book Riot, she said the library has a magical aura. The
kind of feeling you get when you are surrounded by mystery and wonder. Imagine being
surrounded by ancient texts written a thousand years ago. What kind of mysteries are in
those books? Unfortunately the public will not know until restoration on the library is
complete.

The library has had a rough history and is still in danger today. During the 13th century
Mongols were invading Baghdad, destroying everything in their path. If al-Qarawiyyin

129
was discovered it surely would have been destroyed. Today the library faces a similar
threat, instead this time it is from Islamic terrorist groups in the region.

Image courtesy of http://bit.ly/2aqYUbi

Terrorists in the region have been burning ancient manuscripts after their invasion of
Mosul, a story very similar to The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu (listen to our podcast
about the book here). Some of the most well preserved artifacts from antiquity have
been ruthlessly bulldozed and destroyed. This is what makes Azizas work so important;
so much ancient history is destroyed in war and we must find ways to preserve whats
left.

Unfortunately, the less intellectual history there is, the easier it is for
certain politicians to label Islam as a religion of hate. Not only is Aziza preserving
knowledge and wisdom, but she is also defending an entire culture from the ravages of
war and greed.

Featured image courtesy of https://kevinblankinship.com/


130
Written by Adam_Spera
on July 19 2016

Description 28 of The Qarawiyyin Library.


Summary
Description 28.
Title: Aziza Chaouni: the woman behind the restoration of the worlds oldest library in Morocco
Writer: Staff Writer
Organization: The Moroccan Times
Web Address: http://themoroccantimes.com/2016/11/21629/aziza-chaouni-the-woman-behind-the-restoration-
of-worlds-oldest-library-morocco-interview.

Detailed Description
http://themoroccantimes.com/2016/11/21629/aziza-chaouni-the-woman-behind-the-restoration-of-worlds-oldest-library-
morocco-interview

Aziza Chaouni: the woman behind the restoration of


the worlds oldest library in Morocco
Rabat, Morocco- The local architect behind the renovation of the worlds oldest library
has revealed her biggest battle was not in saving the crumbling 1,200 year-old
structure but in opening its doors to the public.

Aziza Chaouni fought tirelessly to allow the ancient al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez,
Morocco first built in 859 to welcome all when it re-opens next year...

The newly restored Al Qarawiyyin library.


Despite being the brains behind the vast sites massive three-year restoration job
which involved not only rejuvenating the crippled structure but also upgrading its entire
drainage system, a requirement only discovered during the overhaul the Fez-born

131
engineer was met with resistance from those set on maintaining its policy of allowing
only students and scholars inside.

The library which is part of a university and mosque buried deep within the packed
ancient city was first born through the generosity of local woman Fatima al-Fihri.
Raised in the city the daughter of a wealthy merchant, she invested her entire
inheritance into the library, wanting to provide the Moroccan people with a place of
knowledge.

Top view of the Al Qarawiyyin compound.


Well aware of its history, Aziza took on this baton in her quest to make its learning
available to all, refusing to accept the responsibility of overseeing the upgrade of the
building if the finished product could not be enjoyed by those living in the city, as it had
been for the last 600 years.

Aziza said: For the client, my job as an architect was simply to restore the library and
leave it as it was found. I disagreed with this approach.

I voiced my concerns, stating that restoring the library with the highest level of respect
and architectural skill does not help in making the library once again a beacon of
knowledge and culture for its foremost users: the inhabitants of Fez and Moroccans
overall.

132
Al Qarawiyyin university in Fes, Morocco.

Iwont hide from you that being a woman demanded that I doubled my efforts into
being heard, but heard I finally was.

Growing up in Fez, Aziza like all other locals could walk by the sprawling library
building, but the closest she could get to being inside would be the scowl of
the guard sat outside its exterior walls.

What lay behind was a mystery to me, the Harvard and Columbia universitys alumni
recalled.

However, after being appointed as the architect charged with restoring the grand
building, her first encounter with its interior was far from what she had imagined its
level of disrepair leaving her astounded.

Rainwater was pouring in through the ancient roof and ceilings, leaving its deep-
rooted cracks seeping with moisture. The walls were chipped away and crumbling, while
centuries old tile mosaics on the floors of the librarys courtyards were cracked and
worn their intricate patterns almost lost forever.

More than 24,000 books, 3,823 manuscripts, a Qaran from the ninth century,
rare literary collections and calligraphic scripts were all at desperate risk. A huge 300kg
chandelier had crashed down from its holding in one of the reading rooms, and even
the buildings more modern additions electrical wiring installed to help secure its most
valuable contents, for example hung exposed from the walls.

133
Speaking exclusively to the INDEX Design Series, who aim to unite designers and
architects at their inaugural INDEX North Africa exhibition in Morocco this December,
Aziza said: The general view of the rehabilitation of buildings in Morocco is one which
is maybe 50 years old. They just have to be restored for the sake of restoring them we
enter, fix things as we see, and leave it as such.

is no will to take risks and find the deep root of these problems. It is a general
There
mentality, ingrained, but also there is this fear of the unknown, not knowing whats
behind every wall.

It became clear to me that the renovation of the library should go beyond just
restoring the building. I took the risk to go in and restore it because of two things. One, I
am trained as an engineer, so being that as well as an architect gave me real
confidence. Secondly, I am naturally adventurous.

I wouldnt want to have taken on the job if it was just about putting a veneer on top.
You can give a person an aspirin, but thats not going to fix them if they are badly
unwell.

After lengthy negotiations with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, who manages the
library; the Ministry of Religious Affairs, who own the building; and the Historic Building
Commission, stakeholders working and using the library, Aziza managed to finalize her
building programme for the new look premises.

She said: One of our first calls was to think how to attract visitors in and allow them
the chance to experience the librarys architecture and see some of its famous
manuscripts. Our strategy was to create an attractive destination. We proposed a small
caf and two exhibition rooms in which the librarys manuscripts would be shown to the
public for the first time.

In addition, the library had just received a gift from Kuwait of several machines
to digitize the manuscripts and restore them. So we proposed to convert the basement
of the reading room into a state of the art lab for book restoration and digitization.

We had to imagine how the al-Qarawiyyin Library as an historic monument with such
a strong symbolic value for scholars and others could retain its soul.

Under Azizas terms, the new manuscripts restoration lab, an exhibition room, caf,
modern administration offices and study rooms for visiting scholars were all installed.
Each of the sites ancient water fountains of which there are hundreds across Fez
was restored to its former glory, running off filtered rain water.

134
Following three years of considerable restructuring, the library will open again in
January and to the public for the first time in more than 600 years.

By far my biggest pride in this project is to have made it accessible to the Moroccan
public, letting them discover this unique space, its history as well as its beautiful
centuries old architecture and manuscripts, Aziza said triumphantly.

I sincerely hope that by opening the library doors to the public that I did justice to the
visionary mission of the librarys founder and patron, Fatima al-Fihri, who had wanted
to make knowledge available to everyone in her city.

Aziza Chaouni will take part of the The inaugural INDEX North Africa, an event which will
take place at the Parc Des Expositions De LOffice Des Changes (CICEC), in Casablanca,
between December 5th and 7th. For more information on how to attend, visit
www.indexnorthafrica.com.

135
The interview-article was conducted by Index North Africa.

Top view of the Al Qarawiyyin compound.

136
Al Qarawiyyin university in Fes, Morocco.
Description 29 of The Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 29.
Title: World's oldest university, library, meets 21st century with massive restoration
Writer: Natasha Maguder and Tom Page April 3, 2017.
Organization: CNN STYLE INSIDE AFRICA.
Web Address: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/03/africa/fez-al-qarawiyyin-medina-restoration-
unesco/index.html

Detailed Description No. 29


World's oldest university, library, meets 21st century with
massive restoration
Natasha Maguder and Tom Page, CNN Inside Africa.
Updated 0846 GMT (1646 HKT) April 3, 2017

137
CNN STYLE INSIDE AFRICA.

Behind Fez's secret library door 01:08


(CNN)"A wise man without a book is like a workman with no tools."

<img alt="Rare color images from 1899 offer glimpse into a lost North Africa" class="media__image"
src="//i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/161124122257-north-africa-photochrom-tunisia-3-large-169.jpg">
Rare color images from 1899 offer glimpse into a lost North Africa
So goes an old Moroccan proverb. For centuries, wise men have flocked to the city of
Fez seeking knowledge from the books held within its ancient library at al-Qarawiyyin.
Scholars and students at the adjacent university, as well local artisans, have long drawn
from its carefully curated manuscripts, providing a touchstone to Morocco's past as
pioneer in Islamic arts and science
Nestled within the city's medina, the institution is only 30 years younger than Fez itself.
The oldest university in the world, according to Guiness World Records, al-Qarawiyyin
opened in 859 AD under the patronage of Fatima al-Fihri, a wealthy Arab woman who
also commissioned a mosque and madrasa. Its library came along in 1359 AD and
contains manuscripts that are among the earliest in Islamic history. A ninth century
Quran, a 10th century account of the Prophet Muhammad's life, as well as formative
scientific and medical textbooks can all be found here.

138
It is officially the oldest university in the world
From generation to generation, custodians have kept these precious documents under
lock and key for generations, working to the thrum of copper artisans hammering away
outside the library's walls. While wars have raged and colonizers come and gone, al-
Qarawiyyin has stayed much the same.
Yet being a living historical artifact has brought its own problems.
Read More
Over centuries, rain water trickled off the neighboring mosque's roof, seeping into the
library. Unbeknownst to the staff, the situation had gotten so bad a stream of water
was slowly flowing beneath al-Qarawiyyin's floorboards. Rot set in and the building's
foundations were in danger.
"Fez has been a pivotal center of learning, especially for Islamic studies," says Moha
Ennaji, professor of linguistics and culture and the University of Fez. But with its
centerpiece falling into disrepair, the city's status was under threat.
The Ministry of Culture kicked into action, enlisting Aziza Chaouni and her team of
architects to oversee a major renovation of the library. Engineers re-built foundations,
installing a new sewage system; each tile of the building's iconic green roof was
restored individually and painstakingly relayed.

<img alt="A librarian at al-Qarawiyyin in 1931" class="media__image"


src="//i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170324163252-al-qarawiyyin-1931-librarian-large-169.jpg">
A librarian at al-Qarawiyyin in 1931
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ancient site had concealed some secrets over the years.
139
"We were always discovering things as we were ripping out walls," says Chaouni.
Among them was a doorway connecting the library and the mosque, hidden within a
16th century cupola.
The rebuild has also brought in a few modern touches -- lighting, heating and air
conditioning, and in the basement, a high-tech laboratory built for restoring precious
manuscripts.

<img alt="Workers in the new basement lab at al-Qarawiyyin." class="media__image"


src="//i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170324171325-al-qarawiyyin-lab-workers-large-169.jpg">
Workers in the new basement lab at al-Qarawiyyin.
"The library authorities have decided lately to actually scan them and digitize them, so
that they can be kept on disc for future use," says Ennaji. "[The] manuscripts are very
old and they may be lost or destroyed just by use, so we have to be very cautious."
Al-Qarawiyyin's cautious approach is reaping rewards. But after five years there's still no
fixed date for the formal public opening, when everyone from Fez and beyond will
finally be able to read the library's old tomes.

<img alt="A manuscript under restoration." class="media__image"


src="//i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170324171101-al-qarawiyyin-lab-preservation-large-169.jpg">
140
A manuscript under restoration.
"The sooner we can open the library the better, as every day there are researchers who
find out that the library is still closed," says Abdelfattah Bougchouf, curator at al-
Qarawiyyin. "The quicker we can finish it the happier it will make us."
If Fez's population is being forced to wait a while before its curiosity is sated, then it can
always take a stroll around its medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest in
the world.
Its warren of alleyways, like al-Qarawiyyin, is also being revitalized, under the watch of
Fouad Serrhini, director of ADER Fes, the body in charge of the historic medina.
"We have about 83,000 people living in the medina, about 30,000 people working in
handicraft," says Serrihini, who himself was born and raised within its walls. "Even
today, you can see that there is this homogeny, this marriage between tradition and
modernity," Ennaji notes, citing the satellite dishes that dot rooftops for as far as the
eye can see."

For more than 150 years [the medina has been in] a cycle of degradation," Serrihini
explains. But ADER Fes is updating the UNESCO site's infrastructure, including
uncovering the medina's narrow rivers -- which Serrihin says some residents weren't
even In doing so the renovations have supplied thousands of artisans with fresh water
for their workshops, while the scheme has installed solar capture to heat personal
water supplies too.

"If business is not good with the artisans, business is not good in the whole city," says
one of the medina's fez hat makers. From metalworkers to clothworkers, the aim is "to
translate [the medina's] cultural value into economic value," says Serrihini.
When al- Qarawiyyin finally opens its doors, these artisans, as well as scholars and
students, will finally be able to return to the library's hallowed reading rooms. And with
the crown jewel of Fez restored, the city's status will be assured for many centuries to
come.

Description 30 of The Qarawiyyin Library


Summary.
Description 30.
Title: CNN features Restoration of Al-Qarawiyyin, Worlds Oldest Library.
Writer: By Constance Renton - April 1, 2017, 2:49 pm
Organization: Morocco World News
Web Address: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/11/200899/built-by-a-woman-
restored-by-a-woman-qarawiyyin-symbol-of-female-endeavor/
Detailed Description 30.

141
CNN Features Restoration of Al-Qarawiyyin,
Worlds Oldest Library

By Constance Renton -
April 1, 2017 , 2:49 pm

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/11/200899/built-by-a-woman-restored-by-a-
woman-qarawiyyin-symbol-of-female-endeavor/

Rabat As the worlds oldest library, Al-Qarawiyyin, is home to some of humanitys most priceless
manuscripts. As part of its Inside Africa series, CNN has produced a seven-minute video of the library,
showcasing its history and the restoration efforts now underway.

The pride with which the librarys curator, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, speaks of historic
structure is obvious. Housing priceless manuscripts such as a 9th century Quran, a 12th
century astronomy text and a 14th century tome on jurisprudence, the value of the
edifice quickly becomes apparent.

142
srcset="https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-
Restoration-of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library3
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-Restoration-of-Al-
Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-300x181.jpg 300w, https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-Restoration-of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-
The curator reverently leafs through one of the first biographies of Mohammed as he
speaks of the librarys purpose as a centre for knowledge for scholars of the past, present
and future. Our duty, he says, is to look after it for humanity and future generations.

In 2012, it became clear that the building was in urgent need of restorative work to save
it from the ravages of constant water damage. With no blueprints to work from,
architects like Lamiss Ben El Haj, had their work cut out for them. Still, the excitement of

143
Working on such an historical project was an irresistible lure.

src="https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-Restoration-
of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-alt="CNN Features Restoration of Al-Qarawiyyin, World's
Oldest Library://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-
Restoration-of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-2.jpg 685w,
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-Restoration-of-Al-
Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-2-300x172.jpg 300w, https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-Restoration-of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-2-
640x366.jpg 640w, https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-
Features-Restoration-of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library

Plans were drawn up from scratch and soon engineers were digging a new sewer system
to permanently funnel the librarys arch enemy, water, away from its foundation. Major
restructuring of the walls was needed to provide the appropriate support for the
foundation.
Speaking of the work that faced them, Ben El Haj, stressed the importance of using
original materials and techniques wherever possible. When we restore we should bring
it back like it was. In keeping with that philosophy, local craftsmen were brought in to
apply their time-honoured skills to detail work, evidenced by the handwrought copper
chandelier in one of the librarys reading rooms.
Stairs were painstakingly reconstructed matching materials and colours against the
original work. When the famous green roof tiles needed replacing they were removed
one at a time and exchanged for exact replicas.
Critical innovations were also made part of the restoration. A temperature-controlled
room was constructed to house the Al-Qarawiyyins most priceless manuscripts. A
specially constructed area in the basement was also built where the maintenance of the
librarys more fragile pieces will be completed. The latest in high-tech preservation
144
equipment has been installed, including facilities for digitizing ancient texts to minimize
their handling.

"https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CNN-Features-
Restoration-of-Al-Qarawiyyin-Worlds-Oldest-Library-3.jpg" alt="CNN Features
Restoration of Al-Qarawiyyin, World's Oldest Library" "

reopened to the public, the restorative labour of love has restored Al-Qarawiyyin to, as
the narrator says, its deserving place as the Jewel in the Crown of the Medinas
restoration. As the video concludes, a smiling Bougchouf reflects on an ancient
Moroccan proverb, Mans best friend is a book.

London The article is a tribute to the Fez-born architect, Aziza Chaouni, who fought to reopen
the Qarawiyyin library to the public, the oldest library in the world.

I sincerely hope that by opening the library doors to the public that I did justice to the
visionary mission of the librarys founder and patron, Fatima al-Fihriya, who had wanted
to make knowledge available to everyone in her city.- Aziza Chaouni.

145
Established-by-a-woman-restored-by-a-woman-the-Qarawiyyin-a-symbol-of-female-
Endeavor-https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/11/Established-by-a-woman-restored-by-a-woman-the-
Qarawiyyin-a-symbol-of-female-Endeavor
One of the many hidden pearls of the Fez medina, the Qarawiyyin mosque was first
established as a university by Fatima al-Fihriya. A daughter of a wealthy merchant, she
invested her inheritance on the construction of the mosque and its adjacent library,
gifting a center of learning and scholarship to the Moroccan people.

Still a functioning place of learning and worship today, the mosque complex remains
intact, the library however, has been undergoing numerous renovations.

146
Established-by-a-Woman-Restored-by-a-Woman-the-Qarawiyyin-a-Symbol-of-Female-
Endeavor....
As one of the oldest libraries in the world, Aziza was tasked with the renovation of the
1,200-year-old library; her work was far from easy and without problems.

Although the library was opened to the public in 839AD, a strict policy had been put in
place, which restricted access to scholars only. Aziza, much like Fatima, wanted the library
to be open to all.

After much battle, unfortunately made harder purely because of the fact that she is a
woman, the Fez-born architect fought tirelessly and eventually was successful in her
struggle. The re-launch of the library in January will see the library open its doors to
everyone.

Al -Qarawiyyin University: The Oldest University in the world.

147
For Aziza, the project was not simply to restore the library and move onto to her next
project, she wanted to once again make it a beacon of learning for everyone, not only
through its architectural grandeur, but also via its significance as a place of learning.

For the client, my job as an architect was simply to restore the library and leave it as it
was found. I disagreed with this approach. I voiced my concerns, stating that restoring
the library with the highest level of respect and architectural skill does not help in making
the library once again a beacon of knowledge and culture for its foremost users: the
inhabitants of Fes and Moroccans overall.

She added that the project was fraught with further challenges: I wont hide from you
that being a woman demanded that I doubled my efforts into being heard, but heard I
finally was.

For Aziza and many other inhabitants of Fes, the library is a place often passed by and not
ever explored due to the security in place that prevented people from entering.

Upon her appointment as the head architect for the restoration, it was only then that
Aziza was able to see the full extent of the disrepair of the library.

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/the-Qarawiyyin-a-
Symbol-of-Female-Endeavor
The library is home to over 24,000 books, 3,283 manuscripts, a copy of the Quran from
the 9th century and many other rare calligraphic scripts, which were all exposed to
crumbling surroundings. Before its restoration the library was in a state of disrepair,
148
with rainwater pouring through the ceilings, chipped walls and the main chandelier
falling from its holding.

In an interview with INDEX Design Series, who aim to unite designers and architects at
their inaugural INDEX North Africa exhibition in Morocco in December, Aziza explained
how she broke trend from the usual restoration projects in Morocco: It became clear to
me that the renovation of the library should go beyond just restoring the building. I took
the risk to go in and restore it because of two things. One, I am trained as an engineer, so
being that as well as an architect gave me real confidence. Secondly, I am naturally
adventurous.

Aziza envisioned for not just the restoration of the library, but wanted to go the causes
of its misuse and disrepair and thought of ways to attract tourists and Moroccan
inhabitants, alike, to the library.

After much deliberation with various Moroccan authorities: the Ministry of Culture, the
Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Historic Building Commission, Aziza managed to get
her plans for the restoration approved.

She said: One of our first calls was to think how to attract visitors in and allow them the
chance to experience the librarys architecture and see some of its famous manuscripts.
Our strategy was to create an attractive destination. We proposed a small caf and two
exhibition rooms in which the librarys manuscripts would be shown to the public for the
first time.

In addition, the library had just received a gift from Kuwait of several machines
to digitize the manuscripts and restore them. So we proposed to convert the basement
of the reading room into a state of the art lab for book restoration and digitization.

As part of Azizas plans, the new manuscripts restoration lab, an exhibition room, caf,
modern administration offices and study rooms for visiting scholars were all installed.

Following three years of restructuring, the library will open in January to the public for
the first time in more than 600 years.

By far my biggest pride in this project is to have made it accessible to the Moroccan
public, letting them discover this unique space, its history as well as its beautiful centuries
old architecture and manuscripts, she said.

149
Description 31 of The Qarawiyyin Library
Summary
Description 31.

Title: Profile: Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest library in the world, set to re-open after multimillion-
pound restoration
Writer: 20th September 2016 / Nan Spowart, Journalist
Organization: The National Scot

Web Address:
http://www.thenational.scot/world/14871162.Profile__Khizanat_al_Qarawiyyin__the_oldest_library_in_t
he_world__set_to_re_open_after_multimillion_pound_restoration/

Profile: Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest library in the world,


set to re-open after multimillion-pound restoration

Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, the oldest library in the world


WHATS THE STORY?

DEVOUT and well educated, Fatima al-Fihri was struck by tragedy when she lost her
father, husband and brother in quick succession.

Their deaths left her a rich woman, however, and she vowed to spend her inheritance
on a mosque and centre for knowledge that would benefit her community.The result
was the multi-million pound restoration of Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, the oldest
library in the world, which is due to reopen later this year.
150
Inside the building, which was founded in 859, are priceless manuscripts including a
ninth-century copy of the Koran with its elaborate Kufic script written on camel skin.
Other texts date back as far as the seventh century and include the words of some of
the most renowned Islamic thinkers but were at risk because of the uncontrolled
humidity of the building and its general neglect.

The library is located in a complex containing the Qarawiyyin Mosque and the
Qarawiyyin University, the oldest in the world. Its alumni include the great Muslim
economist and historian Ibn Khaldun who studied there in the 14th century, mystic poet
and philosopher Ibn Al-Arabi who attended in the 12th century, the Jewish philosopher
Moses Maimonides and Andalusian diplomat Leo Africanus, a 16th-century author and
traveller.

The library was of key importance to the students at the university which in turn played
a leading role in the exchange of knowledge between Islam and the rest of the world in
medieval times.
WHAT IS ITS VALUE?

ARCHES, courtyards with fountains and ornate interiors made the library a beautiful
place but it was in urgent need of restoration.

Fittingly, the project was awarded to female architect Aziza Chaouni who grew up in Fez
and whose great-grandfather journeyed by mule from rural Morocco to study at the
university in the 19th century.

One of his homes was the library, she said. It has this magical aura.

However, although her great-uncle was a coppersmith whose workshop was near the
library, Chaouni did not set foot inside the building until asked to restore it in 2012.

As architecture is traditionally a male preserve in Morocco, she was initially surprised to


be asked but has embraced the project with enthusiasm.

It has to continue to live, she said. I hope it will open soon, and the public will come
and enjoy seeing the manuscripts for the first time. But I also hope that the people from
Fez will use the space like a second home. The librarys value is not simply to preserve it
for tourists, but that it is functioning.
HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT?

HER team was faced with an uphill task quite literally as the library had been
expanded at various times with each interconnected structure built on a different part
of a steep hill.Throughout the years, the library underwent many rehabilitations, but it
151
still suffered from major structural problems, a lack of insulation, and infrastructural
deficiencies like a blocked drainage system, broken tiles, cracked wood beams, exposed
electric wires, and so on, said Chaouni.

The library was also full of surprises.

One of the startling aspects about restoring a building this old is that you never know
whats behind a wall. You could scrape it and find a painting, take out the painting and
find a door and so on. We discovered some unexpected things, especially
underground, such as a centuries-old sewage system.

The team also had to bring the library up to date with modern technology aimed at
preserving the manuscripts that encapsulate centuries of knowledge in subjects from
astronomy to theology, grammar and law.

I didnt want the building to become an embalmed cadaver, said Chaouni. There has
to be a fine balance between keeping the original spaces, addressing the needs of
current users, including students, researchers and visitors, and integrating new
sustainable technologies solar panels, water collection for garden irrigation, and so
on.

The team also took great care in restoring the original courtyard fountains as a nod to
the Unesco world heritage status of Fezs medina.
WHY IS IT SO VITAL?

THE project is seen as being of national importance for Morocco and King Mohammed
VI is expected to attend the official reopening this autumn.

According to Abdullah al-Henda, who is part of the restoration team, the library is more
than just a building.

It was a bridge of knowledge of researchers, between Africa and between the Middle
East and Europe, he said.

It created a place for Muslims and non-Muslims to exchange ideas and in the 10th
century, Pope Sylvester II, a keen scholar, was one of many who sought out the building.

Around 4,000 manuscripts are contained in the library including an original copy of Ibn
Khalduns Muqaddimah.

We have to preserve the library, said Henda. We have to restore it because its our
identity. Its our archives. Its our memory.

152
The library is part of a plan to restore the city as a cultural and spiritual capital, a status
it lost as Rabat became the focus of Moroccan political life when the country was a
French protectorate.

Other parts of Fez are being renovated and Chaouni is promoting the clean-up of the
river, once called the River of Jewels, which has lost its sparkle due to pollution and
dumping.

The medina of Fez has the largest pedestrian network, the largest number of historic
buildings inside, and I think as a model, as a living city, its not just a city for tourists,
she said. It is still transforming and adjusting, and as a pedestrian city its a great model
for sustainability.

Description 32 of The Qarawiyyin Library


Summary
Description 32.
Title: A Sneak Peek into the Oldest Library in the World
Writer: Kareem Shaheen 30-12-16.
Organization: Bookriot.com
Web Address: http://bookriot.com/2016/12/30/sneak-peek-oldest-library-world/

A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE OLDEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD

Kareem Shaheen 12-30-16

http://bookriot.com/2016/12/30/sneak-peek-oldest-library-world/eet the oldest library in the world,


Khizanat al Qarawiyyin in Fes, Morocco.

It was founded in the 9th century by a woman, Fatima al Fihria, and is being restored by
another woman, Aziza Chaouni, a native of Fes, 12 centuries later. To step into it is to be
in the presence of overwhelming history, the scent of old books permeating the air, the
weight of so much ancient knowledge forcing you to stand in awe.

153
And its just plain gorgeous.

It has this magical aura, says Chaouni, the architect in charge of the restoration and
who also restored the citys old river that had fallen into disuse (heres her TED talk
discussing the project). I just keep on discovering things, I still get lost, and it still has a
lot of treasures to be discovered.
Here is a sneak peek inside the ancient library, which you cant visit yet, but which should be open to the
public in a month or so, once the restoration work commissioned by the king is completed.

This is the reading

room, where Chaounis great-grandfather once studied after traveling from his village. A
glorious chandelier hangs from the exquisitely carved ceiling, its patterns testimony to
centuries of North African architecture.

154
Behind this door were once kept the most prized manuscripts in the library and the
adjacent Qarawiyyin mosque. It had four locks, each key with a different keeper. The
collection includes a Quran inscribed in Kufic script from the 9th century, and a signed
copy of the Muqaddima of ibn Khaldun, the definitive historical text by the 14th century
scholar.

155
And this is some of the equipment used to treat the older manuscripts.

The Arab worlds ancient heritage is at risk. The Mongols laid waste in the 13th century
to Baghdad, the center of Islamic learning and home to the House of Wisdom, the
symbol of the golden age of Muslim intellectual and scientific achievement when
Europe was mired in dark ages.

Today a different horde threatens this heritage. The terrorists of Islamic State have laid
waste to the Mosul library, burning ancient manuscripts after their conquest of Iraqs
second-largest city. They destroyed artefacts and sculptures and even bulldozed entire
temples and ruins in Iraq and Syria.

This is the museum of ancient Palmyra in Syria, once an oasis town with some of the
best-preserved ruins of antiquity.

This librarys restoration therefore symbolizes much more than preserving old texts. It is
a ray of light in a troubled region that is busy self-immolating, its nation states
destroyed.

The first word revealed in the Quran, Islams holy scripture, to the Prophet Muhammad
is iqraa, a word that means both read and recite. How better to revive Islams
intellectual heritage than to restore this library?

1,157 years after it first opened, the world's oldest library has finally been restored and
unveiled to the public
156
Located in Fez, Morocco, the al-Qarawiyyin library is part of the world's oldest
continually operating university, al-Qarawiyyin University, which opened in 859. The
library got several small additions and renovations over its millennium-long existence,
but it wasn't until 2012 that Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni decided to give
it a total face lift.

To show off al-Qarawiyyin's new appearance, the university has opened the space,
which had previously been reserved for academics and theologians, to the general
public.

Take a look inside.


Samia Errazouki/AP Images
Today, thanks to Aziza Chaouni's four-year renovation, the al-Qarawiyyin library
features restored fountains and delicately rehabilitated texts, many of them original
religious works .
Samia Errazouki/AP Images
Of course, the world's oldest library needs a dedicated reading room.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

157
Al-Qarawiyyin is home to approximately 4,000 manuscripts, NPR reports. There are 9th-
century Qurans written in Kufic calligraphy and the oldest known accounts of the life of
the prophet Muhammed.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images


Source: NPR

Abdelfattah Bougchouf is the curator of the impressive collection. It's his responsibility
to make sure the books are cared for and properly handled.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

158
One such book is the original "Muqadimmah," a famous 14th-century text from the North African historian Ibn
Khaldun.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

159
Another is the original manuscript detailing an ancient legal system of Islam, written in calligraphy.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

160
But perhaps the most treasured work of the library is the original 9th-century Quran,
still in its original binding. It is the oldest work in the entire collection.

Samia Errazouki/AP Images

161
Only a month after it opened to the public, visitors from all over the world are already
flocking to glimpse a piece of history.

Wikimedia Commons

162
Description 33 of The Qarawiyyin Library
Restoring the worlds oldest library
MAR 1, 2016 / KAREN ENG

Summary
Description 33.
Title: Restoring the worlds oldest Library
Writer: Karen Eng, March 1, 2016.
Organization: Ideas at Ted.com
Web Address: http://ideas.ted.com/restoring-the-worlds-oldest-library/http://ideas.ted.com/restoring-the-
worlds-oldest-library/

The ancient al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez isnt just the oldest library in Africa. Founded in
859, its the oldest working library in the world, holding ancient manuscripts that date
as far back as 12 centuries. But modern life had taken a toll on the library, with its
buildings falling into disrepair. Thats why in 2012, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture
asked TED Fellow and architect Aziza Chaouni to rehabilitate the library so that it can
reopen to the general public. She describes the challenges inherent in undertaking a
daunting, historic project. (Spoiler alert: she was successful; the library reopens in May
2016!)

163
First, some history. The al-Qarawiyyin Library was created by a woman, challenging commonly
held assumptions about the contribution of women in Muslim civilization. The al-Qarawiyyin,
which includes a mosque, library, and university, was founded by Fatima El-Fihriya, the
daughter of a rich immigrant from al-Qayrawan (Tunisia today). Well educated and
devout, she vowed to spend her entire inheritance on building a mosque and
knowledge center for her community. According to UNESCO, the result is the oldest
operational educational institution in the world, with a high-profile role call of alumni.
Mystic poet and philosopher Ibn Al-Arabi studied there in the 12th century, historian
and economist Ibn Khaldun attended in the 14th century, while in medieval times, Al-
Qarawiyyin played a leading role in the transfer of knowledge between Muslims and
Europeans.

Entrance to the al-Qarawiyyin Library reading room. Photo: Aziza Chaouni.

The librarys deteriorating condition meant precious manuscripts were under threat from the
elements. When I first visited, I was shocked at the state of the place, says Chaouni. In
rooms containing precious manuscripts dating back to the 7th century, the temperature
and moisture were uncontrolled, and there were cracks in the ceiling. At risk: ancient
164
volumes covering centuries of knowledge in fields from theology to law, grammar to
astronomy. While scholars have always had access to the materials, the librarys
deteriorating condition meant it had long been closed to the public. In 2012, Kuwaits
Arab Bank provided a grant for cultural preservation to the Moroccan Ministry of
Culture, who asked Chaouni not only to restore the buildings and protect the materials,
but to open the library as a new public space.

A fountain and courtyard patio garden under construction. Photo: Aziza Chaouni.

Bringing a 1,157-year-old library up to date includes challenges and surprises. Over the
centuries, the library had been expanded via a hodgepodge of interconnected buildings,
each one set on a different level of a steep hill. Chaounis job was to unify and upgrade
them all to the same standard. Throughout the years, the library underwent many
rehabilitations, but it still suffered from major structural problems, a lack of insulation,
and infrastructural deficiencies like a blocked drainage system, broken tiles, cracked
wood beams, exposed electric wires, and so on, says Chaouni of the practical
architectural challenges she faced.

165
The entrance to the library reading room, with restored tiles on the stairs. Photo: Aziza
Chaouni.

Meanwhile, restoring the ancient library while trying to respect its authenticity posed its
own problems. For instance, how to find similar material to match missing or broken
pieces of ancient zellige (mosaic) or cracked wooden railings and ceiling beams?
166
Cleaning delicate plaster carvings without breaking them was hard, too. And the project
was full of surprises: One of the startling aspects about restoring a building this old is
that you never know whats behind a wall. You could scrap it and find a painting, take
out the painting and find a door and so on. We discovered some unexpected things,
especially underground, such as a centuries-old sewage system.

The trick: Restore the past and look to the future. While working hard to protect and
preserve, Chaouni had to bring a sense of 21st-century pragmatism to the project. I
didnt want the building to become an embalmed cadaver! she says. There has to be a
fine balance between keeping the original spaces, addressing the needs of current
users, including students, researchers and visitors, and integrating new sustainable
technologies solar panels, water collection for garden irrigation, and so on. Another
thing that needed updating: the librarys fountains. Embedded within the dense urban
fabric of the UNESCO World Heritage Medina of Fez, fountains are part of the citys vast
and ancient water network. Chaouni took special care to restore the librarys original
courtyard fountains, but where necessary, she created them from scratch, using local
materials and construction systems, and introducing passive energy.

The librarys main reading room. The original room was too dim to read in, so a new
lighting system with a central chandelier has been installed. Photo: Aziza Chaouni.

More than three years since the project broke ground, the library will open in May
2016. The public will be able to wander through a complex that includes a reading

167
room, book stacks, a conference room, a manuscript restoration laboratory, and a rare
books collection along with new administrative offices and a caf. Chaouni also
commissioned furniture from local craftsmen who used native wood, and built
courtyard umbrellas that provide shade and mist on hot summer days. Meanwhile, the
12th-century cupola will host permanent and temporary exhibition spaces. A proud,
tired Chaouni is today adding important final touches, and looking forward to
welcoming the librarys first guests. Both Moroccans and foreign visitors will get to
glimpse, for the first time, some of the librarys amazing and unique manuscripts, as
well as to enjoy its architecture.

About the author


Karen Eng is a contributing writer to TED.com, dedicated to covering the feats of the
wondrous TED Fellows. Her launchpad is located in Cambridge, UK.

Section 4

A collection of Biographies of Fatima al-Fihri Founder of the


Oldest Library in the World
Biography No.1
www.wisemuslimwomen.org

Fatima al-Fihri
Known For: Founded the University of Qarawiyyin, the oldest degree-granting university
in operation.
Dates: Hijri Unkown-266 (AH)
Common Era Unkown-880 (CE)
Country: Morocco

About
Daughter of Mohammed al-Fihri, Fatima al-Fihri, also called Umm al Banine, Mother of
the Boys, is known for creating the oldest academic degree-granting university in
existence today, the University of Qarawiyyin.

Fatima and her family were among several families who moved from Tunisia to
Morocco during the reign of the Moroccan King Idriss II.

After her husband and her brothers died, she and her sister Mariam inherited a large
fortune. Both women wanted to devote their money to pious work that would benefit
the community in order to receive the blessing of God. To this end, Fatima built the Al
168
Qarawiyyin mosque, while Mariam built the Al-Andalus mosque. From the 10th to the
12th century, the Al Qarawiyyin mosque developed into a university which became an
important centre of education and one of the first Islamic and most prestigious
universities in the world.

Sources

Oum Al Banine Al Fehria

Biography No. 2

Fatima al-Fihri aka Fatima al-Fihri aka (El-Fihriya)

Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihri Al-Quraysh was an Arab Muslim woman who is credited
for founding The University of Al Quaraouiyine in Fes, Morocco in 859 CE.

Wikipedia:Born: 800 AD Kairouan, TunisiaDied: 880 AD Fez, Morocco

Fatima al-Fihri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihri Al-Quraysh (Arabic: ) was an


Arab Muslim woman who is credited for founding The University of Al Quaraouiyine
(French: al-Karaouine) in Fes, Morocco in 859 CE.[1]

Biography

Karaouine Mosque and University.

169
The madrasa she founded is still in operation today as the University of Qarawiyyin. It is
the oldest continually operating educational institution in the world and is sometimes
referred to as the world's oldest university, though it did not officially become a
university until the 1950s. The mosque is also still in operation, and is one of the largest
in North Africa.[2][3][4]

Al-Fihri was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and had been educated.[1] The family
was part of a large migration to Fes from the town of Qayrawan (in modern Tunisia),
and so the town lent its name to the mosque and madrassa.[5]

Mariam, Fatima's sister, was the sponsor of the Al-Andalus mosque, also in Fes. Both
were part of a larger tradition of women founding mosques.[6]

World's Oldest Library

Al-Fihri founded one of the world's oldest libraries in the University of Qarawiyyin. The
library recently underwent restoration and reopened to the public in May 2016.[7] The
library's collection of over 4000 manuscripts includes a 9th century Qur'an and the
earliest collection of hadiths.[8][9][10]

Education, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005, ISBN 978-0-313-32061-3, p. 70:

As for the nature of its curriculum, it was typical of other major madrasahs such as al-
Azhar and al-Qarawiyyin, though many of the texts used at the institution came from
Muslim Spain...Al-Qarawiyyin began its life as a small mosque constructed in 859 C.E. by
means of an endowment bequeathed by a wealthy woman of much piety, Fatima bint
Muhammed al-Fahri.^ Joseph, Suad; Najmabadi, Afsaneh (2003-01-01).

Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures: Economics, education, mobility and


space. Brill. p. 314. ISBN 9789004128200.

Swartley, Keith E. (2005-01-01). Encountering the World of Islam. Biblica. p. 74.


ISBN 9781932805246.

Gates, Jr., Henry Louis (ed.). Dictionary of African Biography. 6. pp. 357359.
ISBN 9780195382075.

Kahera, Akel; Abdulmalik, Latif; Anz, Craig (2009-10-26). Design Criteria for Mosques
and Islamic Centres. Routledge. p. 81. ISBN 9781136441271 References a b Kenney,
Jeffrey T.; Moosa, Ebrahim (2013-08-15). Islam in the Modern World. Routledge. p. 128.
ISBN 9781135007959. ^

170
Lulat, Y. G.-M.: A History Of African Higher Education From Antiquity To The Present:
A Critical Synthesis Studies in Higher.

Shaheen, Kareem (2016-09-19). "World's oldest library reopens in Fez: 'You can hurt
us, but you can't hurt the books'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-05-
30.
Fadel, Leila (21 May 2016). "The Delicate Task Of Restoring One Of The World's Oldest
Libraries". NPR. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
Weller, Chris (28 June 2016). "The oldest library in the world just opened to the public
here's a look inside". Tech Insider. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
CNN, Daisy Carrington. "This 1,157-year-old library gets a facelift". CNN. Retrieved
2017-05-30. Fatima Al-Fihri Founder of the Oldest University in the World

Biography No.3
https://theurbanmuslimwomen.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-the-
oldest-university-in-the-world/

Great Women of Islam


Fatima Al-Fihri- Founder of the Oldest University in the World
By Hezreen Abdul Rashid

It was a clear sunny day when a noble family journeyed from Kairouan, Tunisia to Fes in
Morocco. It was in the early ninth century and many families chose to migrate to the
bustling city in the west. For Mohammed Al-Fihri, a wealthy merchant from Tunisia, Fes
was excellent avenue for him to continue the family business.

Both his daughters, Fatima and Mariam were well educated. After inheriting a large
amount of money from their father, the girls vowed to spend their entire inheritance for
the benefit of their community. Whilst Mariam headed the construction of the grand
mosque Al-Andalus, Fatima planned on the building of another mosque called Al
Karaouine which was said to be the largest in North Africa. It was in the midst of the
construction of the mosque that the University of Al-Karaouine (which is still part of the
mosque today) was set up.

The University of Al-Karaouine was highly regarded back then as one of the leading
spiritual and educational centers of the Muslim world. Today, the Guinness Book of
World Records has recognized it to be the oldest continuously operating institution of
higher learning in the world.

171
Fatima Al-Fihri was certainly a lady of foresightedness for the location of the university
within the compounds of the mosque attracted scholars from far and wide. Fes, being
the most influential cities in the Muslim world has been renowned for centuries as the
center for religion and culture. The university produced great thinkers such as Abu Al-
Abbas al-Zwawi, Abu Madhab Al-Fasi, a leading theorist of the Maliki school of Islamic
jurisprudence and Leo Africanus, a renowned traveler and writer.

That was not all, the university played a leading role in cultural and academic relations
between the Islamic world and Europe. A renowned Jewish philosopher and theologian
Maimonides (Ibn Maimun) studied under Abdul Arab Ibn Muwashah. Apart from that,
Ibn al-Arabi Ibn Khaldun and Al-Bitruji (Alpetragius) were all connected with the
university either as academicians or as students.

As time went by, the university gained the patronage of politically powerful sultans. It
compiled a large selection of manuscripts that are currently kept guarded in the library.
Among those manuscripts are volumes from the famous Al-Muwatta of Malik written
on gazelle parchment, the Sirat Ibn Ishaq, a copy of the Quran given to the university by
Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in 1602, and the original copy of Ibn Khalduns book Al-Ibar.

Alongside the Quran and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), other subjects that were also
taught were grammar, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, history,
geography and music. Gradually, a broader range of subjects were introduced in the
university particularly natural sciences, physics and foreign languages.

Today, Fatima Al-Fihri is highly respected and looked upon by Moroccan women for her
wisdom, perseverance and kind heartedness. It was her personal sacrifice that has
made her to be an inspiration to all women. Even today, young Moroccan ladies speak
greatly of their foremother who not only brought fame to Fes but has carved a name for
being the only Muslimah who has built the oldest university which is still running today.

The Quran and the Hadith (teachings of the Prophet) inspires every man and woman to
seek knowledge. This unique story of Fatima Al- Fihri has shed some light on the role
and contribution of Muslim women to Islamic civilization- It is this role which will
hopefully denounce the narrow-mindedness of the western mind of Muslim women.
Fatima has shown to us that even in the early centuries that women who are shrouded
with the veil are just as willful and intelligent as those of us today.

Biography No.4
https://www.whyislam.org/muslim-heritage/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-worlds-very-
first-university/

172
Fatima al-Fihri: Founder of World's Very First University
Sumara Khan
The name Fatima Al-Fihri crowns the annals of history with the distinction of having
established the worlds very first university. Yes, it was a Muslim woman who pioneered
a model of higher learning coupled with the issuance of degrees of various levels.

Fatima Al-Fihri migrated with her family in the early ninth century from Qayrawan in
present-day Tunisia to the city of Fez in Morocco. This was during the rule of Idrees II,
an extraordinary ruler and devout Muslim. Fez at that time was a bustling metropolis of
the Muslim West (known as al-Maghrib), and held the promise in the peoples
imaginations of fortune and felicity. Having become one of the most influential Muslim
cities, Fez boasted a rich combination of religion and culture, both traditional and
cosmopolitan. This was the city, on the left bank of the River Fez, where Fatimas family
settled and she eventually married.

After much toil and struggle in humble beginnings, the family of Fatima was eventually
blessed with prosperity. Her father, Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Fihri, had become a
hugely successful businessman. After the deaths of Fatimas husband, father, and
brother in short succession, Fatima and her only other sibling, Mariam, received a
sizable inheritance which assured their financial independence. It was in this latter
period of their lives that they distinguished themselves. Having received a good
education, the sisters in turn hastened to dedicate all of their wealth to benefiting their
community. Observing that the local mosques in Fez could not accommodate the
growing population of worshipers, many of whom were refugees from Islamic Spain,
Mariam built the breathtaking and grand Andalusian Mosque in 245AH/859CE.

And Fatima founded Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, considered by many


historians as the oldest, continually operating, degree-granting university in the world.
Historical references note that she directly oversaw and guided the construction
process in great detail, certainly a testament to her great dedication as she had no
expertise in the field!

Fatima had grand aspirations, and early on began buying property adjacent to the initial
land, thereby significantly increasing the size of the mosque. She diligently spent all that
was required of time and money to see the project to completion. She was also
extremely pious and devout in worship and made a religious vow to fast daily from the
first day of construction in Ramadan 245 AH/859 CE until the project was completed
some two years later, whereupon she offered prayers of gratitude in the very mosque
she had so tirelessly worked to build.

173
Masjid Al-Qarawiyyin, one of the largest mosques in North Africa, housed the university
which was to become a major center of advanced learning in medieval times in the
Mediterranean. Al-Qarawiyyin University is credited with producing many distinguished
Muslim thinkers including Abul-Abbas, the jurist Muhammad al-Fasi, and Leo Africanus,
the famous author and traveler. Other prominent names associated with the institution
include the Maliki jurist Ibn al-Arabi (d. 543AH/1148CE), the historian Ibn Khaldun (d.
808AH/1406CE), and the astronomer al-Bitruji (Alpetragius) (d. 1204CE).

Non-Muslims were welcome to matriculate. In fact, the Universitys outstanding caliber


attracted Gerber of Auvergne who later became Pope Sylvester II and went on to
introduce Arabic numerals and the concept of zero to medieval Europe. One of the
universitys most famous students was a Jewish physician and philosopher,
Maimonides. He was born in Andalusia in 1138 while it was flourishing as an intellectual
and cultural hub under Muslim rule. His family moved to Fez, Morocco in 1160 where
he was heavily influenced by Islamic thought. A distinguished theologian, he was the
first to introduce articles of faith to Judaism; he considered it mandatory for every Jew
to believe in the absolute unity of God, in His exclusive right to be worshipped, in
revelation through prophets, resurrection, and Divine punishment and reward.

By the 14th century, the university housed the Al-Qarawiyyin Library which remains one
of the oldest in the world, preserving some of Islams most valuable manuscripts. These
include volumes from the Muwatta of Imam Malik inscribed on gazelle parchment, the
Seerah of Ibn Ishaq, the premier transcript of Ibn Khalduns Al-Ibar, and a copy of the
Quran gifted to the institution in 1602 by Sultan Ahmed al-Mansur.

Fatima Al-Fihris Legacy

Almost 1200 years have passed since the founding of the University of Al-Qarawiyin in
859, and it continues to this day to graduate students in the various religious and
physical sciences. This esteemed institution, which already had 8,000 students by the
14th century, is central to the legacy of Fatima Al-Fihri. Her story is one of timeless
dedication to the Islamic tradition of learning and academic study, as well as personal
devotion to pleasing Allah SWT by serving as a genuine benefactor to humanity. The
world is richer as a result.

Source WhyIslam.org>The Message International

WhyIslam.org suggest that the above description of Fatimah Al-Fihri has been
Reprinted, with permission, from The Message International which is a web magazine of
ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America). However, when you go to the website of the
web magazine and search for the subject of Fatimah Al-Fihri you get no result.
174
Biography No.5
https://fatimaalfihriresume.wordpress.com/about/

About Fatima al-Fihri

Fatima al-Fihri embodies the true meaning of radical change agent. She was an amazing
individual to have ever existed and her legacy continues to bring about change to this
day. She would be the perfect woman to sit on the Council for Change considering all
that shes done to help her community and other people.

Fatima al-Fihri was the daughter of a wealthy businessman, Mohammed al-Fihri. The
family, Fatima, her father, and her sister, Mariam, travelled from Qairawan, present day
Tunisia, to Morocco. Later on in her life, Fatima experienced the death of her father.
Due to this unfortunate event, she and her sister were able to inherit a large amount of
money. Instead of indulging in material items like most would, Fatima decided to use
her resources to build a university in Fes, Morocco. The University of al Qarawiyyin was
founded in 859, becoming the worlds first academic university that offered a degree.
During the entire preparation of the school, Fatima fasted to get closer to Allah, thus
showing her dedication and hope for her vision.

Why does she deserve to be on the council? Its quite simple. Fatima had wealth and
she could have had more, but instead of using it selfishly, she invested in a project that
would benefit many people in the world, and what better way to do so than to build a
university? Without Fatima al-Fihri, schools would only go up to a certain grade and
people wouldnt be able to further their education. Because of her, many people,
including myself, are able to pursue their education and are guaranteed a degree upon
the completion of their schooling. Many individuals should look up to a woman like
Fatima because she sacrificed her time and resources for a single community, which
eventually benefited the entire world. In addition, she showed that women are more
than just objects that can easily be disposed of; theyre just as smart and should not be
underestimated because theyre capable of so much more.

The university that Fatima founded, al Qarawiyyin, had many advantages of its own long
after she was gone. Fatima must have been knowledgeable about the location of Fes
beforehand because based on the location in which the university was situated in, al
Qarawiyyin was able to receive scholars from not only those in Northern Africa, but also
individuals from Europe. The individuals that attended the university were able to gain
knowledge and certain skills and apply it to the world. For instance, the Muslim scholars
learned how to draw and create maps. The Europeans would later use those same maps
to explore the world. Fatima was the catalyst that started this movement.

175
In a day in today, Fatima al-Fihri would turn her nose up in disgust and awe about the
social problems that are present. One issue being the main concern today is the
discontinuance of schools and the firing of teachers. It appears as though society isnt
invested in education as much as it used to be. Fatima al-Fihri would have a problem
with this. She was all about the community and wanting people to thrive and prosper,
and though her actions, it was clear that she placed education, or just any kind of
knowledge gaining, on a pedestal. Therefore, getting rid of schools, or combining
schools into one, would be equivalent to a slap in the face to Fatima. To try to uphold
her vision so that many people would have access to an education, Fatima would
devout her time to having more schools and any other forms of educational facilities set
up. Moreover, based on her religion, providing for the community would be a way to
become one with Allah, which she wouldnt have a problem doing again. Fatima would
be thrilled to repeat the process.

Considering the commendable effort that she has done and would continue to do for
the community if she were still here, Fatima al-Fihri would be just the right
representative on the Council for Change.

Biography No.6
Fatima al-Fihri Commented [SR2]:

Diana Ahmad
on 6 May 2014
Transcript of Fatima al-Fihri
Fatima al-Fihri
What impact did she leave?

Fatima al-Fihri inherited a large amount of money from her father when she was young.
However, instead of simply spending this money on herself, she vowed to spend her
entire inheritance on benefiting her community. Today, she is well known as the
founder of the world's first degree-granting academic institution, which is located in
Fes, Morocco. Meanwhile creating the university, she built a mosque (in the same area).

This institution is known as the University of Qarawiyyin, which is still in operation


today.

She did this not only for the benefit of her community, but also as a sadaqah for her
deceased father.

General Facts:
176
Fatima al-Fihri was born in Kairouan, Tunisia. She traveled to Fes, Morocco with her
family, and there she built the world's first institution, as well as North Africa's largest
mosque (Al Karaouine).

-She died in the late 9th century (880). The exact location of her grave isn't known.

Significant Events
- Fatima al-Fihri was certainly a lady of foresightedness. The University she created
prospered immediately in the busy city of Fes.
- Even after she passed away, the institution she began continued to flourish and was a
hub for higher learning of Islamic jurisprudence and Quran.
- Today, the Guinness Book of World Records has recognized it to be the oldest
continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.

By: Diana Ahmad


Why is she significant?
Fatima al-Fihri was an Arab Muslim nicknamed Um al Banine, which translates to
"mother of the children". She was mainly known as the founder of the world's first
academic degree-granting institution of higher education (859). She is the only
muslimah to do so-even to this day. Today, Fatima Al-Fihri is highly respected and
looked upon by (specifically) Moroccan women for her wisdom, perseverance and kind
heartedness. It was her personal sacrifice that made her an inspiration to all women.
What is she known for?

-Although she isn't known for writing any particular books or pieces of poetry, she
created one of the most regarded leading spiritual and educational centers of the
Muslim world. The university attracted scholars from far and wide, producing great
thinkers such as Abu Al-Abbas al-Zwawi, Abu Madhab Al-Fasi,and Leo Africanus.
- Additionally, the university played a leading role in cultural and academic relations
between the Islamic world and Europe.
-Ibn Maimun, Ibn al-Arabi, Ibn Khaldun and Al-Bitruji were all connected with the
university either as academicians or as students.

Biography No.7
http://www.icanbeshe.org/forgotten-heritage/individual-women/fatma-al-fihri
Fatima Al-Fihri
Early Life

Fatima Al-Fihri was the daughter of a successful businessman, Muhammad Al-Fihri. She
was born in Tunisia in the 9th century and moved to Morocco with her family as a child.

177
She was from a prestigious family and inherited a fortune due to the early death of her
father. She strived to help the community through her dedication and hope for her
vision.

Achievements
The young Fatima was pious, well educated and had a great passion for knowledge of
Islamic religious science and architecture. She was renowned for being a deep thinker
and her vision was cultivated and encouraged to grow in the Islamic society she lived in.
She decided to use her resources to honour the Islamic tradition of learning and
academic study and build a university and mosque in Fes, Morocco.
The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque

The Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university complex is renowned for being one of the
worlds oldest degree-granting universities in the world. The construction process was
reported to have been overseen by Al-Fihri herself. Being situated in one of the most
influential cities in the Muslim world, the university played a leading role in academic
relations between the Islamic world and Europe. It has also been renowned for
centuries as a key centre of cultural and religious exchange. Thinkers associated with
the university include the author Leo Africanus and the jurist Muhammad al-Fasi.
Almost 1200 years have passed since the university was founded and yet it continues to
this day to graduate students from various disciplines.

Fatima Al-Fihris Legacy

To this day, Fatima Al-Fihri is highly respected and looked up to by Moroccan women
for her kind-heartedness, perseverance and wisdom. She is held up as an inspiration to
all and her rich legacy lives on in the excellence of the institution she founded.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_al-Fihri

http://fatimaalfihriresume.wordpress.com/about/

http://stage1.whyislam.org/social-values-in-islam/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-worlds-
very-first-university/

Biography No.8
Fatima al-Fihri

https://www.revolvy.com/topic/Fatima%20al-Fihri

178
Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihri Al-Quraysh (Arabic: ) was an
Arab Muslim woman who is credited for founding The University of Al Quaraouiyine
(French: al-Karaouine) in Fes, Morocco in 859 CE.[1]

Biography

Karaouine Mosque and University.

The madrasa she founded is still in operation today as the University of Qarawiyyin. It is
the oldest continually operating educational institution in the world and is sometimes
referred to as the world's oldest university, though it did not officially become a
university until the 1950s. The mosque is also still in operation, and is one of the largest
in North Africa.[2] [3] [4]

Al-Fihri was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and had been educated.[1] The family
was part of a large migration to Fes from the town of Qayrawan (in modern Tunisia),
and so the town lent its name to the mosque and madrassa.[5] Mariam, Fatima's sister,
179
was the sponsor of the Al-Andalus mosque, also in Fes. Both were part of a larger
tradition of women founding mosques.[6]

World's Oldest Library

Al-Fihri founded one of the world's oldest libraries in the University of Qarawiyyin. The
library recently underwent restoration and reopened to the public in May 2016. The
library's collection of over 4000 manuscripts includes a 9th century Qur'an and the
earliest collection of hadiths.[7] [8]

References
Kenney, Jeffrey T.; Moosa, Ebrahim (2013-08-15). Islam in the Modern World.
Routledge. p. 128. ISBN 9781135007959.
Lulat, Y. G.-M.: A History Of African Higher Education From Antiquity To The Present:
A Critical Synthesis Studies in Higher Education, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005,
ISBN 978-0-313-32061-3, p. 70:
As for the nature of its curriculum, it was typical of other major madrasahs such as
al-Azhar and al-Qarawiyyin, though many of the texts used at the institution came
from Muslim Spain...Al-Qarawiyyin began its life as a small mosque constructed in
859 C.E. by means of an endowment bequeathed by a wealthy woman of much
piety, Fatima bint Muhammed al-Fahri.
Joseph, Suad; Najmabadi, Afsaneh (2003-01-01). Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic
Cultures: Economics, education, mobility and space. Brill. p. 314.
ISBN 9789004128200.Swartley, Keith E. (2005-01-01). Encountering the World of
Islam. Biblica. p. 74. ISBN 9781932805246.Gates, Jr., Henry Louis (ed.). Dictionary of
African Biography. 6. pp. 357359. ISBN 9780195382075.
Kahera, Akel; Abdulmalik, Latif; Anz, Craig (2009-10-26). Design Criteria for Mosques
and Islamic Centres. Routledge. p. 81. ISBN 9781136441271.
Fadel, Leila (21 May 2016). "The Delicate Task Of Restoring One Of The World's
Oldest Libraries". NPR. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
Weller, Chris (28 June 2016). "The oldest library in the world just opened to the
public here's a look inside". Tech Insider. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
Further reading
"Kairaouine Mosque, Fes". Sacred Destinations.
"The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque". Morocco.com.

Biography No.9
Fatima al-Fihri Founder of the Qarawiyyin
Posted on June 19, 2011 by Dar al-Nicosia /
Brief Biography:
Born c. 800 died 266/880 established the Qrawiyyin Mosque empowerment,
sacrifice and piety
180
Fatima (given the agnomen Mother of the Children) was born in Tunisia into an
extremely wealthy family (some claim royalty) that had high piety and social nobility.
Her father Muhammad b. `Abd Allah al-Fihri al-Qayrawani was a successful
businessman in the Tunisian city of Karaouine (qayrawan) who then migrated west to
Morocco in order to expand the family fortunes. Fatima had only one sister and no
brothers. Fatima and her sister Maryam (umm al-qasim) were young, pious well-
educated and individual personalities in their own right nurturing extreme love for the
Islamic religious sciences and architecture.
Having travelled with their father and settled in the western district of Fes city, Fatima
and Maryam each pursued their desire for community betterment in their location
and when Fatimas father passed away as well her husband later on, she and her sister
were both bequeathed with a fortune and both then began to realise their desire to
patronise the Islamic arts, architecture and religious learning. Maryam al-Fihri went
on to sponsor the construction of the al-Andalus Mosque while Fatima began the
construction of the great Qarawiyyin Mosque.
Achievements:
In 245/859, the Qarawiyyin Mosque in the North-western city of Fes in Morocco was
established; a structure built from the exclusive property endowment (waqf) of Fatima
al-Fihri. It is said that Fatima would be in continuous fast upon launch of the project in
857 to build the Mosque until it was finally completed two years later. She also
performed two unit of supererogatory Prayer of gratitude (salat al-shukr) for the
bounty and favours Allah had given her and for allowing it to be spent for realising a
charitable end.
The Qarawiyyin Mosque became the religious heartbeat of Fes and its centrality was
always reinforced by the then official Marinid (wilayat bani marin) policy of building
Islamic colleges or schools (madrasa) around it attracting intelligent and devoted
individuals from northern Morocco and elsewhere in the Muslim world (and Europe)
to study theology and Islamic Law (fiqh) in order to later assume state administrative
positions and educational posts. This transformed it into a university as we commonly
understand them to be today and according to the Guinness Book of World Records,
is the oldest degree-granting university in the world.
The Qarawiyyin since its foundation became an institution that was pivotal in the
western axis of Islamic Caliphal lands. Not only was it a centre of religious worship and
study, it was also a hub for political and social interactions. Moreover, from the
4th/10th 8th/14th century under various ruling patronages, the Qarawiyyin was a
corridor for Islam and European cultural convergence of trade and education. Thus as
an example, the famous Muslim cartographer Muhammad al-Idris (Latin: Dreses; d.
1166) and his maps were used by European explorers during the Renaissance period
in order to navigate into new territories. He lived in Fes and most likely even studied
at the Qarawiyyin.

181
Another example is that of Ibn Khaldun (d. 808/1406) who was the pioneer of medieval
sociological studies and whose philosophy of history, views and theories of society and
anthropology is considered to be one of the most profound contributions to later 17th,
18th and 19th century western studies in the field. He lived and studied in Fes composing
a number of other significant works in logic and philosophy at that time.

Reflections:

Although very little information exists about Fatima al-Fihri (may Allah have mercy on
her), we can reflect on her achievements and make some observations. Immediate
observations include:

Fatima al-Fihri being female.

Fatima al-Fihri being highly wealthy.

Fatima al-Fihri being extremely pious.

Fatima al-Fihri being extremely charitable.

Will be rewarded until the end of time for her work.

However, other deeper observations can be made:

[1] In our time where women especially young girls are given a vision of themselves
and their worth that does not go beyond the horizon of emphasising physical looks (e.g.
orange tans, thin body sizes, designer label clothes, etc.) and complete pursuit of personal
pleasure, (e.g. drinking, partying, anti-social behaviour, etc.), Fatima al-Fihri in her
broader vision of educational betterment for her community and her selflessness in
putting the her community and its priorities before her own with a long-term goal is
exemplary to say the least. She realised the importance of having real religious centres of
both devotion and learning in order to preserve Islamic knowledge and practice and
develop local peoples intellectually. In order to achieve this she willingly donated her
inheritance wealth.

[2] There is the common misconception that Muslim women have made no substantial
contribution to their own Islamic civilisation being in major part sidelined and confined
to the domestic sphere by patriarchal pressures and their Islamic dress code. In Fatima
al-Fihri is a wonderful example that thoroughly undermines all this. This example shows
that in the early history of Islam, women were their own individual agents with the
permission to buy sell, trade, engage in commercial ventures and contribute culturally
without hindrance. This should be a source of pride in Islamic values and society based
on correctly applied Islamic teachings. Muslim women should feel immensely
182
empowered at emboldened by this and strive to recreate this reality.[3] Lessons from
Fatima al-Fihris life should prompt Muslims into internalising it for their own contexts. It
should awaken in Muslims especially Muslim women the realisation that ones
purpose in life should not be reduced to personal and material success (car, career and
companionship) but broader action of change to make society and indeed the world a
better place to live in; a place that nurtured the mature, religious, intellectual and moral
outlook of Fatima al-Fihri, a world under the shade of Islam and the sacred laws of the
Shari`ah.

{By no means shall you attain piety or righteousness unless you spend [in Allahs cause] of
that which you love} [Q. 3:92].

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: The good deeds that will reach a believer after his
death are: [1] knowledge which he learned and then spread; [2] a righteous son whom
he leaves behind; [3] a copy of the Quran that he leaves as a legacy; [4] a mosque that
he built; [5] a house that he built for wayfarers; [6] a canal that he dug; [7] or charity that
he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health. These deeds will reach him after
his death. (Ibn Majah, Sunan [#242] and al-Mundhuri, al-Targhib wal-Tarhib, 1:78).

S. Z. C.

And with Allah is all success

References:

R. Saoud, al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, Muslim Heritage, accessed April 2011,
http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=447

M. Shatzmiller, Maranids, in EI2, ed. by C. E. Bosworth et al, vol.6, pp.571-574.

W. Khan, Meet Fatima al-Fihri An Inspiration, Khilafah.Com, April 20 2011,


http://www.khilafah.com/index.php/comment/10275-meet-fatima-al-fihri-an-
inspiration

University of Karaouine, Wikipedia, accessed April 2011,


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Al-Karaouine

H. Abdul Rashid, Fatima al-Fihri Founder of the Oldest University in the World, The
Urban Muslim Woman, April 20 2011,
183
http://theurbanmuslimwomen.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-
the-oldest-university-in-the-world/

Biography No.10
FATIMA AL-FIHRI

Finding Fatimah
Posted on June 30, 2014 by Ayesha Nasir

The world has known many Fatimahs, the most famous and revered one in the Muslim
Ummah being Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (sa), whom we meet in the
books of Seerah.

Recently, I came across one more exemplary Fatimah, who was born to a Tunisian
businessman in the year 800 AD. Fatimah bint Mohammad al-Fihri is known as the
founder of the oldest university in the world.

Along with her sister, Maryam, Fatimah al-Fihri left her city of birth in order to help their
father expand his business. Rather like today, changing homes back in the ninth century
was no easy task. But the bustling city of Fes soon became a friend to the family as the
two sisters helped Mohammad al-Fihri settle in Morocco.

Their newfound happiness did not last for as long as they may have hoped. Mohammad
al-Fihri passed away, leaving the girls without any close family member. However, he
left for the girls a respectable amount of money in his will, a clear message that he
trusted his daughters to build for themselves a place in this world. Fatimah and Maryam
had previously lived comfortably and money matters were mostly left to the discretion

184
of their father. After his death, however, the sisters took bold yet noble decisions about
what to do with the money that was now theirs.

Living in the cultural and spiritual centre of ninth century Morocco, Fatimah was deeply
inspired by the study of art, religion, history, and architectural design. She gravitated
towards this vibrant community and the values it upheld, to which she was no longer a
stranger. For the al-Fihri sisters, nothing could reduce the pain of losing their father
better than giving back to their community. Hence, they decided to invest in the society
around them. The money they had inherited was used to lay the foundations of what
were initially two Masajid: Al-Andalus and Al-Qarawiyyin. The constructions of both
were supervised by Maryam and Fatimah respectively.

In 869 AD, Fatimah decided it was time to expand the mosque into a Madrassah, which
went on to be recognized as a state university in 1963. In his book Madrasah and
University in the Middle Ages, George Makdisi writes: back in the Middle Ages,
outside of Europe, there was nothing anything quite like it anywhere.

During the course of Islamic history, Al-Qarawiyyin became more than a university that
housed a Masjid; it soon began housing the greatest minds of the European Middle
Ages. Many notable scholars of the time either studied or taught at Al-Qarawiyyin,
including Ibn Khaldun, Leo Africanus, and Ibn al-Arabi. The university gained fame
among the scholars from all over the world, such as Maimonides (Ibn Maimun) and
Muhammad al-Idris, a cartographer, whose maps were widely used during the
Renaissance, especially in European quests to explore uncharted lands.

The university expanded very rapidly. With additional construction done in the twelfth
century, Al-Qarawiyyin came to be regarded as the largest mosque in North Africa. That
was the time when the Masjid gained its current structure, which can now
accommodate around twenty-two thousand worshippers.

In a brutal attempt to massacre Muslim civilization during the Spanish Inquisition, many
Muslims and scholars were expelled from Spain. They found a refuge in Fes, where they
shared their wisdom and their cultural insights about arts and sciences. While the
Spanish Inquisition of the thirteenth century was a dark and difficult time for Muslim
scholars, al-Fihris institution became a much-needed symbol of hope for the
devastated Muslim academia.

In his book Islamic Education in Europe (2009), Ednan Aslan writes how the Muslim
community maintained, favoured, and organized the institutions for higher education
that became the new centres for the diffusion of Islamic knowledge. This resulted in
the centres becoming places where teachers and students of that time would meet
and where all intellectuals would gather and take part in extremely important scientific
185
debates. He writes that in the ninth century, it is not to be taken as a coincidence that
the establishment of the Qarawiyyin University in Fes was followed by Az-Zaytuna in
Tunis and Al-Azhar in Cairo. Aslan writes: The university model, which in the West was
widespread starting only from the twelfth century, had an extraordinary fortune and
was spread throughout the Muslim world at least until the colonial period.

Before her death in 880 AD, Fatimah al-Fihri was titled Umme Banin, the Mother of the
Children. She was remembered to have stood true to her oath to keep fasting till the
construction of the Masjid was completed. She prayed in the Masjid for the first time as
an act of gratitude to Allah (swt). The city of Kairouan was no longer a stranger to the
two sisters, Fatimah and Maryam, both of whom had made wise and important choices
in their youth.

As a Muslimah, the world I live in asks me to stop looking into the past; however, it is
there that I find hope for the future. Perhaps there is a Fatimah al-Fihri out there
reading my words. If she is, we must help her in her quest to create a space, where
learning takes place for all the seekers of knowledge.
Posted in Cover Story, Exploring Islamic Schools | Tagged Cover story, Education, Fatima al-Fihri, Ground Realities, Hiba Magazine,
higher education, July 2014 issue, Muslim lifestyle magazine, teaching, university |

Section 5
A collection of Biographies of Aziza Chaouni the Architect who lead the Restoration of
Khizanat-ul-Qarawiyyin, the Worlds Oldest Library.

This section shares a selection of the Personal profile of the Architect who lead the
renovation and refurbishment of the Khizanat Qarawiyyin considered to be the Worlds
Oldest Library

http://www.azizachaouniprojects.com/#url=/2016/06/qarawiyine-project-featured-in-
the-ted-ideas-and-huffington-post/

Qarawiyine project in TED ideas + Huffington Post


June 9th, 2016

Built in 859, the building was conceived by Fatima El-Fihriya, who dedicated her
inheritance to create a mosque and knowledge centre for her community. ACP was
commissioned in 2012 to rehabilitate the building, which is set to open in May 2016.

UNESCO describes the site as the oldest operational education institution in the world,
with a high-profile role call of alumni. The project was also recently featured in Al
Huffington Post Maghreb, a French-language edition of The Huffington Post.
186
About Aziza Chaouni
Bio No.1
Aziza Chaouni is founding principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects and assistant professor at
the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. She was formerly
principal and co-founder of Bureau E.A.S.T. At the University of Toronto, Chaouni directs
the research platform Design Ecological Tourism (DET). DET Projects have won several
awards in 2012 including the ACSA Collaborative Award and a Progressive Architecture
(P/A) Award Citation.

Chaounis personal research focuses both on developing world design issues and on
methodologies to integrate architecture and landscape, and more particularly through
investigating the potential of sustainable design approaches in arid climates.

Chaouni's former office with partner Takako Tajima, Bureau E.A.S.T., as well as Aziza
Chaouni Projects have been recognized with top awards for both the Global and
Regional Africa and the Middle East competition from the Holcim Foundation for
Sustainable Construction; the Architectural League of New York Young Architects
Award; Environmental Design Research Association Great Places Award; the American
Society of Landscape Architects Design Awards; and other professional design awards
and prizes. Chaouni's work has been published and exhibited internationally, including
the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam; INDEX: Design to Improve Life in
Copenhagen; and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN HABITAT)
World Urban Forum.

Chaouni graduated with a MArch with Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of
Design, and with a B.S. with Honors in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.

Bio No.2
Aziza Chaouni focuses on projects that integrate architecture and landscape, and that
ultimately give back to their communities. For years, she has worked to revive the Fez
River, which runs through her hometown of Fez, Morocco.

Why you should listen

Civil engineer and architect Aziza Chaouni creates sustainable, built environments in the
developing world, focusing on the deserts of the Middle East. Chaounis design
philosophy holds that it is not enough for sustainable buildings to have zero impact
they must give back to the community on social, economic, infrastructural and
environmental levels too. The founding principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects,
she collaborates closely with local communities and experts from other disciplines to
integrate architecture, landscape and infrastructure in innovative ways.Born and raised
187
in Fez, Morocco, Chaouni has long found herself fascinated with the Fez River, which
winds through the city's ancient Medina. Once considered the city's soul, sending water
to both public and private fountains, in the 1950s, the stream started to become a toxic
sewer because of overcrowding, over-development and pollution. The city responded
by covering the river over with concrete slabs, bit by bit, in the process destroying
houses and creating dumping grounds. When Fez received a grant to divert and clean
the river's water, Chaouni proposed the Fez River Project to uncover the river, restore
its riverbanks and create pedestrian pathways. Her vision: to reclaim these areas as
public spaces and reconnect them to the rest of the city.

A project that Chaouni has been working on for two decades, her mission to transform
the Fez River began with her thesis in graduate school and has continued throughout
her career. Over the course of years, the river is gradually being uncoveredillegal
parking lots are being transformed into playgrounds, trees and vegetation are being
planted to create public spaces. Overall, the project is revitalizing Fez as a living city.

What others say

Just as the river races deep within the wadi of historic Fez, Chaounis project digs
down, undoes and re-builds through the existing and fragile fabric of the historic center.
Her unorthodox approach to architecture renews the path of the river and its banks as a
circulation system for Fez. Good Magazine

Bio No.3

Aziza Chaouni
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aziza Chaouni

Born Aziza Chaouni

Nationality Moroccan

Known for Architecture

Aziza Chaouni is a Moroccan architect who teaches at the University of Toronto.

188
Details

She is the founder of Aziza Chaouni Projects and assistant professor at the John H.
Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design in Toronto. She leads Designing
Ecological Tourism (DET), "a collaborative research platform that investigates the
challenges faced by ecotourism in the developing world."[1]

Chaouni has a postgraduate degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design and a BSc
in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.[2] In 2014 she gave a TED talk on how her
architectural work helped to revive the Fez river which runs through her hometown of
Fez, Morocco.[3]

In 2016 she helped to renovate the oldest functioning library in the world, the library at
al-Qarawiyyin University, built in 859 by Fatima Al-Fihri.[4

Bio No.4

Aziza Chaouni

Aziza Chaouni is Principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects and winner of the Global Holcim
Awards Gold 2009: When a project isnt focused on the needs of the people, then
what?

TED Fellow Aziza Chaouni presented a talk on March 17, 2014 at the 30th Anniversary
TED Conference in Vancouver. She spoke about her work to uncover the once-polluted
Fez River that runs through her native town.
189
Takako Tajima and Aziza Chaouni are Principals of Bureau EAST. Bureau EASTs Fez river
rehabilitation project won the 2008 Holcim Gold Award in Sustainable Construction and
the 2009 EDRA...

Aziza Chaouni was a member of the concluding expert panel at the 3rd International
Holcim Forum Re-inventing Construction at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico
City in April 2010
Aziza Chaouni is Principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects and winner of the Global Holcim
Awards Gold 2009: When a project isnt focused on the needs of the people, then
what?

TED Fellow Aziza Chaouni presented a talk on March 17, 2014 at the 30th Anniversary
TED Conference in Vancouver. She spoke about her work to uncover the once-polluted
Fez River that runs through her hometown of Medina, the walled inner-city in the
capital of Fez, Morocco. The project addressed the ecology of the river as well as social
and economic concerns of the city. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED.
Takako Tajima (left) and Aziza Chaouni are Principals of Bureau EAST. Bureau EASTs Fez
river rehabilitation project won the 2008 Holcim Gold Award in Sustainable
Construction and the 2009 EDRA best places award. +

Holcim Awards 2008 Africa Middle East Marrakech, Morocco Winning team members
Holcim Awards Gold 2008: John Ferri, Takako Tajima, Aziza Chaouni, Dan Brunn
Aziza Chaouni was a member of the concluding expert panel at the 3rd International
Holcim Forum Re-inventing Construction at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico
City in April 2010.

The concluding panel experts of the Holcim Forum: Enrique Norten, Takako Tajima,
Aziza Chaouni, Rolf Soiron, Yolanda Kakabadse, Arab Hoballah, and Ashok B Lall.
Global Holcim Awards Gold 2009 prize handover Congratulating the winners of the
Global Holcim Awards Gold prize 2009 : Haruko Hirose, Special and Plenipotentiary
Ambassador of Japan to Rabat; prize-winner Aziza Chaouni, architect and co-founder,
Bureau EAST, Morocco/Canada/USA; Mohammed Gharrabi, Wali of Fez-Bouleman,
Morocco; and prize-winner Takako Tajima, urban planner and co-founder, Bureau EAST,
Morocco/Canada/USA.
About

Aziza Chaouni is Principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects with offices in Toronto, Canada and
Fez, Morocco.

190
She is also Assistant Professor of Architecture at the John H Daniels School of
Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto, Canada, where she
leads the Designing Ecological Tourism research platform.

Aziza Chaouni Projects is currently working on projects that range in scale from
furniture design to city planning in Toronto (Canada), New York (USA), Yarmouk and
Ajloun (Jordan), and Fez, Meknes, Casablanca, Berkane and Mhamid (Morocco).

She was co-founder of Bureau EAST (Bureau of Ecological Architecture and Systems of
Tomorrow) with Takako Tajima. Bureau EASTs River remediation and urban
development scheme in Fez, Morocco won the Global Holcim Award Gold 2009 where
the jury applauded the scheme for creating a chain of recovery projects to enable future
sub-projects to be added; and for addressing the economic and social life of the city
together with the ecology of the river. The project also won the Holcim Awards Gold
2008 for Africa Middle East; the Environmental Design Research Associations Great
Places Awards recognition for planning; American Society of Landscape Architects
Design Award; and the International Awards Eme3 Cities.

Aziza Chaouni studied architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) and
civil engineering at Columbia University.

Her work has received numerous awards including: the Progressive Architecture Award
Citation 2012; the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Collaborative
Award 2012; the Architectural League of New York Young Architects Award; the Urbanin
form award; and the Progressive Architecture award in 2007.

Last Updated: November 07, 2013


Bio 5
https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/people/core-faculty/aziza-chaouni

Aziza Chaouni
Associate Professor

aziza.chaouni@daniels.utoronto.ca

Aziza Chaouni is founding principal of Aziza Chaouni Projects and assistant professor at
the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, where she leads
Designing Ecological Tourism (DET) a collaborative research platform that
investigates the challenges faced by ecotourism in the developing world.

Chaouni was formerly principal and co-founder of Bureau E.A.S.T. She holds a Master of
Architecture with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a
191
Bachelor of Science with Honors in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.

Chaounis personal research is focused both on developing world design issues and on
methodologies to integrate architecture and landscape, and more particularly trough
investigating the potential of green technologies in arid climates. At the University of
Toronto, Chaouni teaches graduate option studios set in the Moroccan Sahara,
investigating sustainable modes of construction and xeriscaping technique and their
integration with tourism. She has also lead an initiative with Professor Liat Margolis
called the Out of Water project, identifying and assessing the performance of different
methods to harness, treat, collect and describe water.

Chaouni was awarded the Progressive Architecture award in 2007 for her research
project, Hybrid Urban Sutures: Filling the Gaps in the Medina of Fez and was the Agha
Khan Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2006-2007. As a
fellow, she collaborated in the production of a seminar on desert tourism and a studio
on the Medina of Fez. Chaouni exhibited her research on Desert Ecolodges at the
Harvard Graduate School of Design. She also organized an international conference on
Desert Tourism with Professor Virginie Lefebvre. A book by Chaouni and Lefebvre based
on their research and teaching, Visiter le desert: architecture durable et architecture
was published in 2009 in collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism and
Harvard GSD (Editions Lefennec, 2009.)

Chaouni is also the Director of the Research Board of DO.CO.MO.MO Morocco, a


chapter of an international organization that seeks the preservation of the modern
heritage. Her research on architect J-F Zevaco will be assembled in a book, Detailing
Modernism, to be published with a grant from the Graham Foundation and the ArchiLab
Center in Orleans.

Chaouni developed her professional experience in offices in Morocco, Europe, Canada,


and the United States including Hashim Sarkis ALUD; Diller Scofidio + Renfro; and Renzo
Piano Building Workshop.

Chaouni's former office with partner Takako Tajima, Bureau E.A.S.T., as well as Aziza
Chaouni Projects have been recognized with top awards for both the Global and
Regional Africa and the Middle East competition from the Holcim Foundation for
Sustainable Construction; the Architectural League of New York Young Architects
Award; Environmental Design Research Association Great Places Award; the American
Society of Landscape Architects Design Awards; and other professional design awards
and prizes. Chaouni's work has been published and exhibited internationally, including
the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam; INDEX: Design to Improve Life in

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Copenhagen; and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN HABITAT)
World Urban Forum.

Bio 6
By: BRIDEY HEING
Bridey is a freelance writer and reviewer based in Washington, DC. More of her work
can be found at brideyheing.com.

Web Address for this Interview based article: http://hazlitt.net/feature/womens-story-


revitalizing-worlds-oldest-library

Al-Qarawiyyin library has stood for centuries in the heart of Fezs ancient medina. The
opulent building, with golden doors and intricate tile, is the worlds oldest library, home
to ancient manuscripts. Run by the University of al-Qarawiyyin, it has long been closed
off to all but a few scholars, as crucial repairs went undone. After centuries of use and
years of neglect, it stood in a state of sorry disrepair.

Into that disrepair stepped Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni, and over the past two
years she has overseen the rehabilitation of this UNESCO-recognized site. Chaouni, who
has a unique family connection to the building, also fought for something she never had
growing up in Fez: A chance for the public to explore the treasures it holds. Here,
Chaouni shares the challenges of restoring the building, which is set to re-open this
summer, what al-Qarawiyyin means to her, and how ultimately the story of the library is
a story of women challenging a patriarchal culture.

Bridey Heing: Your work is focused on a very interesting intersection of humanitarian work,
sustainability, and architecture. How did you get involved in this kind of work?

Aziza Chaouni: Im from Fez, which has the largest medina, or ancient city, in the world.
So when youre growing up in the city, youre very amazed by the architecture and all
the detailing. Its a city thats twelve centuries old, and so I think that I was affected by
that. And by my aunt, who was an architect. I I looked up to her and thought it was very
cool what she was doing.

But I really felt that I wanted to become an architect when I worked for Renzo Piano, an
Italian architect. I was already in grad school, but when I worked for him I understood
what kind of architect I wanted to be. Hes a very humane and generous person, and I
understood that I didnt want to do commercial architecture. I wanted to do projects
that have a soul and a history, and even if they are new, they have an innovative edge
and make peoples lives better.

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Growing up in Fez, how aware were you of al-Qarawiyyin? What place does it hold in the
publics mind?

It has an, I would say, sort of mystical role, both for the people of Fez and in my family
because my great grandfather came [from the northern city of Chaon] on a donkeys
back to attend the university adjacent to the library. Of course, he spent hours in the
library, and he became a lawyer. So, the library, in my family, was a very important
place, and within Fez, as well, because it has one of the oldest manuscripts in the
Middle East.

It was almost this very mystical, holy place, and the main problem when I was growing
up was that it was not opened to the public. I did not set foot in the library until I was
asked to give advice on what needed to be rehabilitated. You had to be a researcher to
have access to it. When I was asked to do the rehabilitation, my goal was to make part
of it opened to the public, so that some of these manuscripts can be exhibited there,
and so that Moroccans can learn more about their history.

What was your overarching vision for this project? Your work focuses as much on
development as on societal contribution: How do you feel al-Qarawiyyin fits into that
framework?

For me, first, it was to make accessible some of the manuscripts that are only accessible
to very few scholars. The manuscripts are poetry, mathematics, law, etc. They really tell
the story of Morocco and Moroccan culture, and I thought it was important to exhibit
some of them with explanatory texts.

Secondly, to tell the incredible story of this library because it was a woman who created
it. I think its a very important moment to say that in 812 [Fatima al-Fihri] decided to
give all the money she inherited to create this center of knowledge, which has not
ceased to function to this day. It was a woman in the Ministry of Culture who contacted
me, so it is in a way a story of women. She heard about me, had read about my work,
and contacted me out of the blue. I like that this is a womens story.

Was that something you reflected on during the project? Given the place of women in
literature and academia, do you feel the prominent role of women in this librarys history is
significant?

I think its a message for a lot of Moroccan women that, first of all, you can be an
architect. Its still a job here in Morocco thats dominated by males, so I think its
important. But on the other hand, this story is a story of me trying to change mens
mentality. One hundred percent of the clients were dealing with on the commission,
Ive had to convince it was worth it to open the library to the public. I thought it was
important that they experience this space as well, because its our heritage.Everywhere
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in the world, and especially in Morocco, women still have a very large battle to fight,
were still not taken seriously.

Youve been involved on such a wide range of projectshow was this one different? What
unique challenges did it pose?

The fact that it is in the medina. We had to be very inventive about how you work in a
very dense and constrained site. That was a very big challenge. The second challenge
was that when you deal with such a huge, important, historic building you worry that if
you rehabilitate a wall, you might make the one next to it weak and it might fall. The
building was built over centuries, so you never know what youre going to find when
you peel back plaster. The fear of the unknownits why a lot of architects in Morocco
dont want to work in the Medina.

What was it like seeing it come together?

Its wonderful. I was just there, and I cannot describe it. All the manuscripts were in
dangerthere were cracks in the walls, water might have gotten in. So, I contributed a
little bit to safeguarding them and opening up this treasure to the public and younger
generations. I wish that when I was young I could have gone into the library and learned
more about it. And I cant stop thinking about my great grandfather. He came here and
met my great grandmother.

What is your hope for this next chapter of al-Qarawiyyins life?

I think for Moroccans, they would want to enter but they had to take photos from the
door. For them its like a mysterywhats behind this beautiful door? So, the next step
is to see how people use it. As an architect theres always an element of surprisehow
are people going to use the space and transform the space? Im always excited to see
how people will transform a space. Sometimes they use it in ways that are unexpected
and I never would have thought about. I think that its going to have a new life.

Bio 7
Aziza Chaouni: Architect of a New Medina of Fez
Web Address for this Article
http://engineering.columbia.edu/aziza-chaouni-architect-new-medina-fez
Columbia University Bulletin

195
Moroccan-born Aziza Chaouni currently the
Aga Khan Visiting Fellow at the Harvard
Graduate School of Design, was featured on
the January cover of Architect Magazine as the
winner of the Progressive Architecture Award.
She received the P/A Award for her research
on repairing the medina of Fez, Morocco. The
medina, Fezs walled city of twisting, narrow
streets and marketplaces, was established at
the end of the eighth century and is regarded
as one of the most preserved medieval cities in
the Islamic world. The site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

I had a wonderful time while attending SEAS, Aziza says. I was part of the Society of
Women Engineers Club, and I keep a very fond memory of the head of my department,
Professor Rene Testa. I am very attached to my Alma Mater, and I believe that Columbia
provided me with a very well-rounded background.

After graduation, Aziza went directly to the Harvard Graduate School of Design to
obtain a masters degree in architecture. She is now The Agha Khan Research and
Teaching Fellow, as well as a Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard GSD.
She is also a structural engineer and architect. With partner Jeannette Kuo, she is the
co-founder of KCD, a multi-disciplinary design collaborative, which works on projects in
the US, Europe, and North Africa.

Her award-winning research project, Hybrid Urban Sutures: Filling in the Gaps in the
Medina of Fez, approaches the problem of a crumbling medina from the perspective of
the people who live there.

Even if the people retain very strong aspects of Moroccan tradition, she says, they
still want modern facilities. Aziza used her graduate thesis as the basis for this project,
analyzing the issues that affect Middle Eastern historic districts. The medina has little
green space so, to provide openness, she has proposed to return Fezs Al-Qarawiyin
University to the medina, where it originated and flourished prior to being moved to its
current suburban setting. The study also includes a proposal for transportation facilities
and public parks. She uses buildings, including classrooms and library stacks as flow
control for people moving through the medina, helping to organize the environment.

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Section 6
Credits:
Organizations In alphabetical order
AFP
Al-Araby.co.uk
AP.com3
Avant Urbanism
Business Insider
CNN.com
Daily Mail
FacetofaceAfrica.com
Faena.com
Hazlitt.com
Institute of Conservation
Lithub.com
NPR
QZ.com
Rockefeller Foundation
TED.com
The New Arab
TRTworld.com
Wikipedia
Writers in alphabetical order3
Bridey Heing
Chris Weller
Fadel Senna
Faena Aleph
Fredrick Ngugi
Kareem Shaheen
Leila Fadel
Lorraine Boissoneault
Melanie Lieberman
Sebastian Modak September 22, 2016 writing for Candenast Traveller
Selin Cheng writing for qz.com July 03, 2016
Photos Credits:
David Levene
Kareem Shaheen
Samia Errazouki

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