Sahrij Madrasa

The Sahrij Madrasa circa 1922, before modern restorations

The madrasa was commissioned in 1321 by Abu al-Hassan, who was at that time a prince and heir apparent to his father, Sultan Abu Sa'id Uthman II.[3] A foundation inscription carved onto an onyx plaque in the prayer hall records that construction was completed in Rabi' I 1323 and that teaching began at this time.[4] Abu al-Hasan reportedly built the madrasa in honour of his father.[5] He went on to become to become sultan in 1331 and was a prolific patron of mosques and madrasas in Fes.[6]

According to its foundation inscription, the madrasa was originally known as al-Madrasa al-Kubra (the "Greater Madrasa") because it was larger than the other madrasas of the same era.[4][7] It also marked a significant evolution in the richness of its decoration, and features some of the earliest zellij (mosaic tilework) to be found in any Moroccan madrasa.[2][7] It was reported that the madrasa's construction had cost 100,000 gold pieces.[3] Later it came to be known as the Madrasa as-Sahrij for the iconic sahrij (water basin) in the center of its courtyard (sahn). Abu al-Hassan also built another smaller madrasa adjoining it, commissioned in 1323 and initially known as the al-Madrasa es-Sughra (the "Lesser/Smaller Madrasa").[8][3] That madrasa later came to be known as the Madrasa as-Sba'iyyin (roughly: "Madrasa of those who teach the Seven Recitations of the Qur'an"), the name it still has today, presumably due to the madrasa's specialization in this subject.[3][9] Together, these two madrasas provided both lodging and teaching for students studying at the nearby Andalus Mosque, much as the Seffarine and al-Attarine Madrasas served students at the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque across the river.[3][8][2] The madrasas were also accompanied by another funduq or hospice, but it has since disappeared.[7]

The madrasa was assigned a fqih (judge and expert in Islamic jurisprudence) and a number of other positions such as lecturers and Qur'an reciters, all of whom were provided with accommodations and salaries.[10] The madrasa's upkeep and operations were funded in large part by charitable endowments designated under a habous or waqf (a trust under Islamic law).[1] In addition to its function as an educational institution, Marinid madrasas like this one could also serve as centers of community life, functioning as a mosque, guesthouse, and venue for local ceremonies.[1]

The madrasa was restored multiple times, including during the Saadian period (16th-early 17th century) and again between 1917 and 1924 by the Service des Beaux-Arts under the French Protectorate.[10] The madrasa complex eventually fell into neglect. There were initial efforts to repair and protect it in the 2000s, including from the World Monuments Fund, but the madrasa suffered from further vandalism, including serious damage done to the adjoining Sba'iyyin Madrasa in 2009 due to looting.[8][11] The two madrasas were more recently restored by the local heritage agency ADER-Fès and reopened in 2017, as part of a wider program of rehabilitation for Fes el-Bali which started in 2013.[12][13] Upon the restoration's completion, the Sahrij Madrasa was earmarked to house students of the Qarawiyyin University and to serve the university's courses on Arabic calligraphy.[14]