Madrasa Bou Inania is not only a former Muslim religious school, but also one of the most interesting sights of the ancient city of Fez. It is among the outstanding examples of world architecture.
Madrasa Bou Inania was built in 1350-1355 in the Moorish style. The initiator of its creation was Bu Inania. It is the only school in the city that has its own minaret. It was used not only as a school but also as a Friday mosque. Some peculiarity of the madrasah was that there were shops nearby, the income from which was used to support the school itself.
Inside the madrasah there are courtyards, prayer and study rooms, which can be accessed from the main courtyard. The complex is richly decorated: luxurious faience decoration, exquisite plaster moulding and wooden carvings. On the facade one can see a complex ancient system of water clocks, which is a unique specimen that has survived to this day. Previously, the Muslim religious school could simultaneously educate up to 100 boys of 8-10 years of age, but now it is not functioning and acts as an architectural monument of the Merinid era.
In the centre of Bu-Inania Madrasah you can see a large marble fountain. Near it there is a gallery and a prayer hall, behind which the living quarters are placed. The prayer hall itself is very beautiful: light enters the room through magnificent stained glass windows decorated with interesting geometric patterns and expensive mouldings.
Next to the central gate of the Bu Inania Madrasa, there is a small wooden door framed by sturdy columns, which is called the "Gate of the Indigent". This entrance is for Muslims who have come to ask for help. Nearby were the very market stalls selling a variety of items made by the hands of the students.
The walls decorated with arabesques and mosaics, the cedar carved ceiling in the form of a sea shell, and the pool in the ablution hall are of particular interest to visitors.
Today, the Madrasa Bou Inania is a jewel, a precious masterpiece that testifies to the wealth of the ancient imperial city of Fez.
