Majestic Medersa el-Attarine
The city of Fez plays home to one of the most stunning pieces of architecture that can be found in Morocco. This is the Medersa el-Attarine or Attrainr Madrase as some locals call it. Situated at the edge of the spice and perfume market, this architectural beauty was created in 1325. Construction was initiated by Sultan Yaqub Abu Said Uthman II who also had a hand in several other buildings around the city of Fez.
This individual was one of many in a line of Sultans that enjoyed frequenting madrasas or religious schools. These educational establishments were utilized to spread the Sunni teachings during the Marinid Sultan dynasty of 1244 to 1465.
The central focal point of the Medersa el-Attarine is located in its rectangular shaped court yard area. From here, there is an entry wall leading into the prayer room. The design features tile murals forming the word “Allah” in calligraphy. This was created from a two centimeter space of green tiles and bordered with white tiles. The curves of the word and background setting mix together to form a breathtaking work of art in and of itself. This art piece serves as the center point for a wall mural entirely created out of tile. The artist utilized a technique known as taqshir that entails peeling glaze off of a tile surface. This leaves a shinny textured surface on which lettering and other decorative aspects can be laid.
Until the development of the tiled mural in the Medersa el-Attarine, this technique had only been utilized on black glaze tile where the removal of glaze revealed a terracotta base. This form of tile handles weather conditions better and therefore maintains a more natural aging process. The Allah tile masterpiece and other art work pieces are on display at the Medersa el-Attarine.
In addition to the tile art pieces, the walls of the building feature carved stucco. All of the doorways are framed with similar carved wood pieces. There is also wooden archways with marble columns featured in random placement throughout the building.
By far, the most visited section of the Medersa el-Attraine is the center courtyard. Visitors come from miles around to get a glimpse at the artwork and elaborate decorative accents featured here. The building contains housing units for current students. Although an interest point, there is no comparison to the stunning architecture beauty of the building itself. One should not schedule a visit to the city of Fez without making plans to stop at the Medersa el-Attraine.
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by Sam Mitchell
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