Name Fatima al-Fihri | Died 880 AD, Fes, Morocco | |
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Organizations founded University of al-Qarawiyyin | ||
Islamic GOLDEN Age-Episode-2-FATIMA Al FIHRI-
Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya (Arabic: فاطمة بنت محمد الفهرية القرشية) was an Arab Muslim woman who is credited for founding The University of Al Quaraouiyine in Fes, Morocco in 859 CE.
Contents
- Islamic GOLDEN Age Episode 2 FATIMA Al FIHRI
- Fatima al fihri founder of the 1st university
- Biography
- Worlds Oldest Library
- References
Fatima al fihri founder of the 1st university
Biography
The madrasa she founded is still in operation today as the University of Al Quaraouiyine. 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.
Al-Fihri was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and had been educated. 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.
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.
World's Oldest Library
Al-Fihri founded one of the world's oldest libraries in the University of Al Quaraouiyine. 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.