University of Al-Qarawiyyin (Morocco)

The University of Al-Qarawiyyin is a university located in the city of Fez, Morocco. According to UNESCO and the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the oldest institution of higher education and the first university to grant a medical degree in the world, and is still in continuous operation. Historians refer to it as the oldest university in the world. The university is an educational institution affiliated with the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, which was built by Fatima bint Muhammad al-Fihri al-Qurashi in 245 AH (859 AD). The mosque later became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Islamic Golden Age. The university began teaching immediately after the mosque's construction, with classes and study circles held in the Moroccan city of Fez. However, some historians believe it did not become a university until the Almoravid or Marinid eras. The University of Al-Qarawiyyin is also the first academic institution in the world to invent specialized academic chairs and degrees. It was incorporated into the modern public university system in Morocco in 1382 AH/1963 AD. The mosque's design and style represent historical Moroccan and Islamic architecture, featuring a variety of motifs from different periods of Moroccan history