List of the oldest madrasahs in continuous operation in the Muslim world

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from List of oldest madrasahs in continuous operation) Jump to: navigation, search Unbalanced scales.svg The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (July 2012) This is a list of madrasahs of the Muslim world which have been operating continuously since their founding. Madrasahs before 1500 Year Current Location Name Other notes 859 Morocco Fes, Morocco Madrasah of Al-Karaouine Founded by Fatima al-Fihri, originally as a mosque. In addition to a place for worship, the mosque soon developed into a place for religious instruction and political discussion, gradually extending its education to a broad range of subjects, particularly the natural sciences. Al-Karaouine played, in medieval times, a leading role in the cultural exchange and transfer of knowledge between Muslims and Europeans. Pioneer scholars such as Ibn Maimun (Maimonides), (1135–1204),[6] Al-Idrissi (d.1166 AD), Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240 AD), Ibn Khaldun (1332-1395 AD), Ibn al-Khatib, Al-Bitruji (Alpetragius), Ibn Hirzihim, and Al-Wazzan were all connected with the university either as students or lecturers. Among Christian scholars visiting Al-Karaouine were the Belgian Nicolas Cleynaerts and the Dutchman Golius. Among the subjects taught, alongside the Qur'an and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), are grammar, rhetoric, logic, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, history, geography and music. However, only a degree in Islamic religious law, the Sharia, was ever granted, which is true for any madrasah.[1] This madrasah is considered the oldest continuously-operating degree-granting madrasah in the world.[2] 970-972 Egypt Cairo, Egypt Al-Azhar Madrasah Founded by the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, this madrasa served as a center for Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning.The Encyclopedia of Islam calls it at most a "religious university", but more often a madrasa and center of higher learning.[3] The transition to an actual university took place in the 1950s, a development termed as "from madrasa to university".[4] The college (Jami'ah) had faculties in Islamic law and jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, Islamic astronomy, Islamic philosophy, and logic.This madrasah is considered by some the world’s second oldest surviving degree-granting institute.[citation needed] Its foundation as a university dates to 1961 when many modern secular faculties were added, such as medicine, engineering and agriculture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_madrasahs_in_continuous_operation