AL QUARAOUIYINE MOSQUE AND UNIVERSITY, FEZ MOROCCO. ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE.

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. A wing will be open to the general public later this year.

The library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books and ancient Arabic manuscripts written by renowned scholars of the region. The manuscripts include a 9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by philosopher Averroes.

The mosque plan consists of three main sections. As noted above, the prayer hall (sanctuary) is the most historical part, being gradually developed and extended. It is of a rectangular shape stretching from the north to the west thus giving the Qibla side the longest breadth. The span of such space, 83x 44.2 meters, extends over 21 aisles running perpendicular to the Qibla wall, a reminder of the T plan seen in much of North African mosques. The roof is made of a set of green tiled pyramids reflecting the number of arcades carrying it. The arcade itself is made of horseshoe arches supported by some 270 piers. The whole of the internal surface is painted in plain white, resembling the Kutubia Mosque and diverting from the rich decor of the Great Mosque of Cordova.

The central aisle or nave is wider and crowned with five cupolas of different styles mixing between ribbed and muqarnas vaulting, drawing the visitor towards the mihrab area. Further distinction of this aisle is noticeable in its pyramid roof, which was raised deliberately higher than the roof level of the mosque. As mentioned previously, it was added by Ali Ibn Yusuf's Andalusian architects. However, some doubted whether such a story is true. The six domes are not really Andalusian copies, especially the perforated ones. The muqarnas cupolas, executed in square, oblong and circular forms, are definitely older than their Andalusian counterparts. In fact they are among the first muqarnas executed in North Africa by the Almoravids, next only to those introduced in Qala complex of Beni Ahmmad (1080) and Great Mosque of Telemcen (1082). Their development in North Africa coincided with their popularity in the Seljuk domain in Persia and Anatolia.

Tiled in blue and white, the courtyard lies in the western side of the mosque, equipped with three marble fountains. The central fountain is an original 12^th century Almohad piece of furniture which was complemented by two lateral fountains fixed under two symmetrical patios that were built under the Saadid rule , by the Sultan 'Abdallah Ibn al-Shaikh (1606-23). With their slender marble columns, these kiosks are the most elegant part of the mosque. The sections above the capitals were sculptured in beautiful Moorish golden "embroidery" comprising exquisite floral and geometrical forms framed within bands of calligraphy, features recalling the Alhambra famous patio of Lions, which also became typical surface decor in the Saadid dynasty in Morocco.

Modern Architecture: A Critical History (World of Art) – Kenneth Frampton