Medersa Bou Inania

Meknes


Opposite the Grande Mosquée, this religious school, completed in 1358, is typical of the exquisite Merinid interior design. Although it is not as lavish as its counterpart of the same name in Fez, it does display the classic zellige tile, delicate stucco and carved cedar-wood ceiling. You can explore the student rooms, the roof (nice views of the Grande Mosquée's minaret) and even the school's hammam (down a hall to the left, opposite the ticket desk).

Students aged eight to 10 years once lived two to a cell on the ground floor, while older students and teachers lived upstairs in the luxury of private rooms. On the right when you enter the main hall is the school room; its deep mihrab marks the direction of Mecca, but also provides natural amplification.