Kairaouine Mosque - is one of the most important monuments of Islamic religious architecture in Fez. The mosque, built into 859 at the expense of a wealthy woman Fatima, a refugee from Kairouan, was the most imposing monument of the city.

Mosque with a total area of ​​about 1600 square meters. m can accommodate simultaneously more than 20 thousand faithful. Throughout its history the building was repeatedly reconstructed and increased. The most significant restructuring of the mosque took place in 1135-1142 gg. during the reign of Sultan Ali, who donated to the mosque one of the best in the Arab world minbar.

Kairaouine Mosque - a columned mosque. Seventeen of the mosque doors lead out to a spacious patio, paved with black and white stone tiles. In the center of the courtyard is a beautiful marble pool for ritual ablutions, at the edges you can see the pavilions, decorated with carved marble columns. The prayer hall is divided into columns on smooth seventeen naves. He is big enough and well organized. As for the ceiling of the mosque, he was executed in a very difficult and unique technique of honeycomb - "mukarna."

Because of the small domes of the most remarkable and surprisingly beautiful dome-tent, located in front of the mihrab and built in 1136-1143 gg. Another equally beautiful stalactite decoration of the dome is a memorial of the mosque, connected to the prayer hall with three doors.

Near the memorial hall is famous library Jamiat al-Qarawiyyin, established in 1349 at the initiative of the Sultan Abu Inan marinidskogo. Library for centuries attracted scientists from many countries for its rich collection of manuscripts.

Kairaouine Mosque, and became famous due to settling down here one of the oldest universities in the world. In the XII century. in it, there were 8000 students, so the university is still a major intellectual center of the Arab East.