THE MOSQUE OF AL-QARAWIYYIN
Introduction
The Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin is found near the Spice Market of Fez al-Bali or Suq al-‘Attarin. The mosque is one of the largest mosques and universities in Africa. It initially began by Fatima al-Fahri in 857/242 AH as a private oratory. Fatima al-Fahri was one of the daughters of Qayrawani, a wealthy immigrant. History records that she was highly educated and chose not to spend their inheritance on enriching herself but the people around her by building a mosque suitable for her community. The mosque was turned into a congregational mosque in the tenth century. The mosque is surrounded by madrasas, which made it a leading intellectual center as far as the medieval Mediterranean is concerned[1]. The Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin had an impressive academic reputation that transcended religious boundaries as suggested by a popular in the region. Gerbert of Auvergne (930-1003) is linked to the Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin[2]. He was a student at al-Qarawiyyin went to become Pope Sylvester II who is credited with the introduction of Arabic numerical and zero to Europe.
After Isabel and Ferdinand expelled Jews and Muslims from the Iberian peninsula in 1492/897AH, Fez witnessed a big influx of refugees. As a consequence, the city became culturally, economically, and politically linked to Spain. Visual references to the palatine and religious architecture related to Islamic Spain is conspicuously evident in the hypostyle plan of the mosque, for example, the 10th century square stone minaret[3]. The first Umayyad caliph of al-Andalus funded and commissioned the stone. Other evidences in the mosque include the glazed tile (zilij), carved stucco, and wood ornamental styles which can only be traced to Alhambra[4].
However, the architectural design of the mosque, the T-shaped plan, was created using a central aisle elevated perpendicular to the one in front of the qibla wall. This plan belongs to and is common to the tradition of mosques in North Africa. It has a stuccoed brick that is made of tile and stone revetment. It also has some components of carved cedarwood. These materials are the fundamental components used not only in the structure of the mosque but its ornament as well[5]. Sultan Ali later expanded the mosque ben Yusuf, the Almoravid ruler. This activity took place between 1134 and 1143, leading to the mosque’s current size.
The Sa’ did Sultan Abdallah ibn al-Shaikh added the blue and white tile floor in the courtyard, the fountain comprising of marble ablutions, and the double pavilions’ fountain. The courtyard recalls the Alhambra’s Court of the lions. It is also important to note that there has been an attempt to rehabilitating the mosque in the 20th century. The first attempt took place and was completed in 2007, and the second one happened ten years later by Aziza Chaouni.
Zaimeche observes that many people consider the mosque as an ideal demonstration of how the Islamic religion combines the educational with the spiritual. For instance, the ornamental courtyard of the mosque has seen a lot of Muslim scholars and saints congregate for various reasons for more than 1,000 years[6]. This merging indicates that religion and education go hand in hand in this mosque. It also demonstrates the significant role that women play in the Islamic community – this is an aspect that is greatly misunderstood in the world.
The exterior
The exterior of the Qarawiyyin mosque does not provide a monumental appearance. However, it is integrated on its walls by dense urban fabric. The mosques have eighteen entrances and gates around its perimeter. The gates are not of the same size – they vary from enormous horseshoe arches to small rectangular doorways. The horseshoe arches have huge doors heralded by wooden roofs. The roofs have frontal elongations that cover the streets.
Some of the gates have extensive overlays made of ornate bronze, especially during the Almoravid period. However, most doors are mostly made of wood. For instance, the doors of the principal northern gate, known as Bab-al-ward, is an example of the best-preserved and most ornate gateway, the gate opens onto the courtyard. Another example of this kind of gates on the mosque is the western gate, commonly known as Bab Sbitriyyin[7]. However, its current doors are only replicas as the original ones are kept in the Dar Batha Museum.
The southwest gate (Bab al-Gna’iz leads to the funeral mosque or the Jama’ al-Gna’iz. The other gates in the northwest of the mosque are made up of heavy bronze fittings. They include Bab al-Maqsura and Bab Chemaine. Their materials also date back to the Almoravid period. There is another doorway on the west side adjacent to Bab al-Ward called the gate of the barefooted or Bab al-Hafa. The doorway has a small channel of water inside it just across the floor. The worshipers entering the mosque through this entrance was their feet at the water channel helping with initial ablutions. Finally, there is an observation tower next to the mosque known as Bori Neffara. Sometimes people confuse this tower for a minaret but it was part of the timekeeper’s (Dar al-Muwaqqit) house.
The interior (prayer hall)
The interior of the mosque is made up of hypostyle and takes up the most area of the mosque. The interior is somehow austere space and comprises of plain walls, arches of rows, and wooden roofs. The south of the courtyard is connected to the central area of the interior of the mosque and is divided into ten transverse arches’ rows, which runs parallel to the southern wall. The hall’s south wall marks the direction of prayer for worshipers. Also, the prayer hall’s central axis is marked by two additional rows of arches. The overall layout of the interior (prayer hall) of the mosque is common among the North African mosques’ design.
The mihrab area dates back to the Almoravid expansion of the 12th century. It is decorated with painted and carved stucco and colored-glass windows. The mihrab niche is also covered by a small muqarnas dome which has different architectural embellishments. The arches running through the interior of the mosque have various shapes. Intricate cupolas and muqarnas ceilings have been used instead of plain timber ceilings in most parts of the mosque. Most of these muqarnas compositions are decorated with Arabic inscriptions and relief of arabesque as well as geometric compositions. It is also important to note that some parts are fitted with elaborate bronze-carved chandeliers. Most of the areas in the mosque are quite uniform in architecture with some minor irregularities.
The courtyard
The courtyard is part of the interior. The mosque has a rectangular courtyard which is surrounded by the gallery on the north and the three sides by the prayer hall. Typical Moroccan mosaic tiles have been used to pave the floor with the fountain at the center. One can access the courtyard from outside using the main northern gate[8]. The central entrance to the prayer hall is the gate opposite to the northern gate. The two gates have painted and carved stucco decorated facades. Also, there are two ornate Saadian pavilions at the eastern and western ends of the courtyard. Each of these pavilions shelters the fountain. Marble columns, mosaic-tiled walls, carved wood, and concrete have been used to decorate the pavilions. The main prayer hall extends behind these pavilions. It is also essential to state that on the northern sides of the courtyard are the arched hall and gallery, which are spaces of prayer reserved for women.
The minaret
The minaret is part of the interior of the mosque as well. Ummayyad caliph of Cordoba is said to have constructed the minaret in the 10th century[9]. It overlooks the courtyard when seen from the west. It was covered with the whitewash since it was constructed in local limestone, which is relatively considered of low quality. It is topped by a dome and has a square shaft. It also has a parapet that history records that it was used by the muezzin to issue a call to prayer.
Conclusion
The Mosque of al-Qarawiyyin was founded by Fatima al-Fahri, a daughter of Qayrawani, a wealthy immigrant. The mosque served as both a religious and an education center. It has seen notable personalities worship and study there, for example, Gerbert of Auvergne. The architectural design of the mosque, the T-shaped plan, was created using a central aisle elevated perpendicular to the one in front of the qibla wall. The exterior and interior of the mosque were built and decorated using various materials. For instance, integrated on its walls by dense urban fabric. The mosques have eighteen entrances and gates around its perimeter. The horseshoe arches have huge doors heralded by wooden roofs. Some gates and doors are made of ornate bronze and wood, respectively. Other materials used in the construction and decoration include bronze (heavy bronze fittings). Some materials also date back to the Almoravid period. The interior of the mosque is made up of hypostyle and takes up the most area of the mosque. The interior is somehow austere space and comprises of plain walls, arches of rows, and wooden roofs. Intricate cupolas and muqarnas ceilings have been used instead of plain timber ceilings in most parts of the mosque. Most of these muqarnas compositions are decorated with Arabic inscriptions and relief of arabesque as well as geometric compositions.
Bibliography
Bonebakker, Seeger Adrianus. Materials for the History of Arabic Rhetoric: From the Ḥilyat Al-Muḥād̤ara of Ḥātimī (Mss 2934 and 590 of the Qarawiyyīn Mosque in Fez). Vol. 4. Istituto orientale, 1975.
Fikri, I., M. El Amraoui, M. Haddad, A. S. Ettahiri, Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet, C. Falguères, M. Lebon, R. Nespoulet, S. Ait Lyazidi, and L. Bejjit. “XRF and UV-Vis-NIR analyses of medieval wall paintings of al-Qarawiyyin Mosque (Morocco).” In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 353, no. 1, p. 012020. IOP Publishing, 2018.
FSTC, Wed. “October, 2004,“Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University “; Abdeladi Tazi, Al-Mar’a fi tarikh al-gharb al-islami, Casablanca: Le Fennec, 1992;“University of Al-Karaouine “.” (20).
Mosque, Al-Qarawiyyin. “University.(nd). Retrieved June 17, 2016.”
Whitehouse, David. The Congregational Mosque and Other Mosques from the Ninth to the Twelfth Centuries. London: British Institute of Persian Studies, 1980.
Zaimeche, Salah. “Education in Islam: The role of the mosque.” United King-dom: Ahmed Salem (2002).
Top of Form
[1] Whitehouse, David. The Congregational Mosque and Other Mosques from the Ninth to the Twelfth Centuries. London: British Institute of Persian Studies, 1980.
[2] FSTC, Wed. “October, 2004,“Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University “; Abdeladi Tazi, Al-Mar’a fi tarikh al-gharb al-islami, Casablanca: Le Fennec, 1992;“University of Al-Karaouine “.” (20).
[3] Whitehouse, David. The Congregational Mosque and Other Mosques from the Ninth to the Twelfth Centuries. London: British Institute of Persian Studies, 1980
[4] Fikri, I., M. El Amraoui, M. Haddad, A. S. Ettahiri, Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet, C. Falguères, M. Lebon, R. Nespoulet, S. Ait Lyazidi, and L. Bejjit. “XRF and UV-Vis-NIR analyses of medieval wall paintings of al-Qarawiyyin Mosque (Morocco).” In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 353, no. 1, p. 012020. IOP Publishing, 2018
[5] Mosque, Al-Qarawiyyin. “University.(nd). Retrieved June 17, 2016.”
[6] Zaimeche, Salah. “Education in Islam: The role of the mosque.” United King-dom: Ahmed Salem (2002).
[7] Bonebakker, Seeger Adrianus. Materials for the History of Arabic Rhetoric: From the Ḥilyat Al-Muḥād̤ara of Ḥātimī (Mss 2934 and 590 of the Qarawiyyīn Mosque in Fez). Vol. 4. Istituto orientale, 1975.
[8] FSTC, Wed. “October, 2004,“Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University “; Abdeladi Tazi, Al-Mar’a fi tarikh al-gharb al-islami, Casablanca: Le Fennec, 1992;“University of Al-Karaouine “.” (20).
[9] Bonebakker, Seeger Adrianus. Materials for the History of Arabic Rhetoric: From the Ḥilyat Al-Muḥād̤ara of Ḥātimī (Mss 2934 and 590 of the Qarawiyyīn Mosque in Fez). Vol. 4. Istituto orientale, 1975