U.S. First Lady Visits Marrakech’s Ben Youssef Madrasa
Marrakech – On Sunday, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden paid a visit to the Ben Youssef Madrasa, giving everyone a chance to learn about and admire this historically significant architectural gem in the center of Marrakech’s old Medina.
The Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Wali of the Marrakech-Safi region and Governor of the Marrakesh Prefecture, Karim Kassi-Lahlou, the President of the Marrakesh Municipal Council, Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, and the President of the Regional Council, Samir Koudar, all greeted the first lady of the United States of America upon her arrival.
The First Lady of the United States was given information about this historical and architectural site of exceptional beauty, testimony to a bright stage of the Kingdom’s secular history, as she toured the many rooms of this historical and educational institution.
Jill Biden was also given a briefing on the function and goals of this structure as a central location for Islamic education and study, with an emphasis primarily on Quranic studies and Islamic sciences.
The Ben Youssef Madrasa, whose building is an exquisite example of Moroccan and Andalusian know-how, had formerly served as a theological faculty and attracted students from all regions of North Africa and overseas.
The Madrasa was named after the Merinid Sultan Abu Al Hassan Ali Ibn Othman, commonly known as Ben Youssef, who ruled at the beginning of the 14th century and was established in 1565 by Sultan Abdellah Al-Ghalib.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI initiated the restoration work on the Madrasa in 2017 with the goal of preserving and enhancing this historically significant cultural and civilizational site. The restoration work was eventually finished, considerably enhancing this iconic structure.