Encountering the Middle East

Catalogue Entry: The al-Attarin Madrasa

The al-Attarin Madrasa is incorporated into the spice trader’s bazaar on Tala’a Kebira Street, one of the busiest in all of Fez. However, since the madrasa was built into the street and the street wasn’t centered around the madrasa, the allotted space for construction was limited and cramped. Many of the buildings constructed in Fez were centered around qibla, the direction of prayer, so the mihrab is constructed with this in mind. The al-Attarin Madrasa’s mihrab (pictured on the left) is not on the central axis of the mosque like the typical Merinid madrasas, but slightly to one side against the eastern wall which faces Mecca. As expected, the al-Attarin Madrasa deviates in its angle of qibla in comparison to the rest of the city. The Mihrab axis runs at right angles to the axis of the courtyard, posing an unusual architectural solution¹. Despite this, the madrasa has a more accurate line of qibla than other buildings in Fez. While most buildings are 120 to 150 degrees from qibla, the al-Attarin manages an almost exact straight line of 182 degrees, which is directly on an accepted qibla in North Africa². The care taken in the preservation of qibla despite the limited space is indicative of two key components making up the madrasa. First, it underscores the influence religion plays in both the design and teachings of the madrasa. It also showcases the overall skill and care for design seen in the al-Attarin Madrasa and the successful integration into the community through architecture. 

A single decorated door in the L-shaped entrance leads from the bustling exterior to the calm oasis of the courtyard, which served as an area for students to study³. What the exterior lacks in size is certainly compensated for with the interior. Immediately, the courtyard captivates the eye, due to the spacious impression it creates, the articulation of the walls, and their fine stucco panels, and exquisite wood carvings⁴. These carvings (pictured on the right) were first developed by woodworkers who wished to capitalize on a valuable commodity, since wood was a readily available resource exclusively in North Africa. This was done by combining bits of wood and ivory and applying two other materials such as title where such patterns were extensively used to cover the lower surfaces of walls, which then blended into the upper surfaces,which would have been decorated with carved stucco⁵. Apart from the foliate and calligraphic motifs, the carved stucco on the wall consists of geometric patterns and repeating ornamental niches⁶. Narrow colonnades are utilized along the sides of the courtyard to provide shade to students, but also to maximize space, creating the impression of a large open space. The fountain and basin in the center provided running water for ablutions, a form of ritual purification,and to create white noise to mask the urban hubbub⁷. The construction of the al-Attarin Madrasa balances the needs of the students while also easing the transition between the bustling exterior and calm interior, which promotes community internally and externally.

A standout feature of the main courtyard are the ornate mosaic tiles, the zillij (pictured on the left), covering the floor and lower walls. These stem from Andalusian artists who migrated to Morocco, taking with them their professional techniques. This is mainly thanks to the patronage of the sultans that attracted teachers and students from various places to the Merinid madrasas⁸. All of these are accompanied by an epigraphic strip that borders the entire courtyard, as well as the various pillars. Unlike other Merinid madrasas in Fez, whose epigraphic texts are poems, al-Attarin's calligraphic texts are excerpts from suras of the Quran⁹. These excerpts were primarily from two suras in the zillij corresponding to 33, al-Ahzab, The Coalition, in the entry zillij and Sura 35, al-Fatir, The Originator, throughout the perimeter wall of the courtyard. By surrounding the area in which the students were learning with religious text instead of secular poetry, the students are subconsciously subjected to the religious messages the madrasa is spreading. This is a nod to the religious significance behind the al-Attarin Madrasa, but the way in which it is ornamented also is intended to be a luxurious reminder to viewers of their own civilization.14th century philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun indicates that the degree of “refinement” in a work of craft, by which he meant this kind of complexity, is directly related to the degree of civilization in a given society. Thus the luxurious integration of Merinid ideals into the ornate decoration seen in the al-Attarin Madrasa in this period can be understood as a symbol of the civilized life within the community¹⁰.

While the public facing interior of the first floor is particularly glamorous, the second floor lacks much of the same ornate decoration, to the point where photographs of the second floor are scarce. The only access the public is granted to the second floor is through the small wooden windows looking out onto the courtyard (pictured on the right), but even then, this access is primarily for the students, who are able to watch the proceedings of the courtyard from afar without being seen themselves¹¹.  This allows the students to appreciate the luxury of the madrasa, without them being subjected to unwanted attention from visitors. The contrast between the imposing and dazzling public face of the first floor and the austerity of the students’ quarters, safely out of sight on the second, is dramatic, as the origins of many madrasas in the teachers' own house are reflected here in the intimate domestic flavor and small scale¹². While such isolation from the splendor of the first floor could be seen as troublesome for the students, their quarters were surprisingly comfortable for the time period and they were well provided for¹³. Architecturally, the aspects of the building are left unchanged from the expected structure of the school, which preserves the community as it originated while fostering the modern community of students. 

For Marinid patrons like Uthman II Abu Said, madrasas were a strategic means to give back to their community, but also to promote their own beliefs and secure a legacy of generosity and luxury. The madrasa is where state officials are educated, so the madrasa becomes of great importance for the Merinids, since this is the shelter and the focus of propagation of the religious ruling party¹⁴. By controlling the design of the mosque and tailoring certain aspects to religion, like the religious inscription and qibla mentioned earlier, Uthman II Abu Said can influence the students of the madrasa without needing to be present. The madrasa also served as a setting for official ceremonies, with the lavish courtyard serving as an effective gathering spot for the community. This is advantageous to Uthman II Abu Said because everytime citizens enter the courtyard, it reflects his own generous image¹⁵. This is reflected in a primary source from the secretary of Uthman II Abu Said’s son. He writes: “The Reward of the Master and Disciple will weigh in the balance of their merits. It is an exemplary thing that a King from the East is remembered (who founded) a madrasa or something similar, but Thanks to him (abu l-hasan), many people had their existence guaranteed during its construction (May God take into account their merit and reward them for it)”¹⁶. The luxury that Uthman II Abu Said leaves behind is a direct indicator of his time in the afterlife, so it is for both his and his community’s benefit for him to commission madrasas.

Sultan Uthman II Abu Said was a prolific patron of madrasas, but he was certainly not the only Merinid ruler to do so. In fact, many subsequent Merinid rulers, including his son Abu al-Husan and grandson Abu Inan Faris, were directly influenced by his patronage. All five of the madrasas in the plans shown above were originally commissioned by these rulers, and the similarities between them are plentiful. Although only the al-Attarin Madrasa had a specific purpose for the spacious first floor, all of the subsequent madrasas maintain this open space. The contrast between these madrasas becomes a matter of the overall layout. Each of the rooms in the other four madrasas are in alignment with each other, with the exception being the al-Attarin Madrasa. Recall that the exterior space is limited by the confines of Tala’a Kebira Street, so the architects had to adjust the alignment to the space provided. Despite this, there is no visible difference from the interior courtyards in between madrasas, which serve as the focal point of the madrasas¹⁷. One important note is that, despite the dates being labeled in the five madrasa plans, the true dates of construction, especially in comparison to one another, are heavily contested by scholars. For example, the labels on these plans say that the al-Sahrij Madrasa was commissioned in 1321, before the al-Attarin Madrasa in 1323. These dates are corroborated by modern scholars¹⁸, but a primary account from the secretary of Abu al-Husan suggests otherwise. It notes that “Abu Said ordered the construction of the al-Attarin Madrasa and Madina l-bayda Madrasa with the help of Abu l-Hasan'' and “He [Abu al-Hasan] in turn founded (God reward him) the elegant madrasa on the other Ribera, that is to say the al-Sahrij Madrasa”¹⁹. The discrepancies between dates highlights a deficit in knowledge surrounding these madrasas by scholars, which due to the intertwined nature of these madrasas affects the true understanding of how they influenced each other. Furthermore, because the construction of madrasas became a trademark of the Merinid dynasty, an understanding of their temporal connection also allows for a more comprehensive look at the dynasty as a whole.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Archnet. “Madrasa Al-'Attarin Fes, Morocco.” Accessed November 10, 2022. https://www.archnet.org/sites/1723.