Located in the heart of the medina of Marrakech, the Koranic school was founded at the beginning of the 14th century by the Moroccan monarch Abu el Hassan. Only with the reign of the Saadians who enlarged and redecorated the building in 1570, Madrasa became the largest Islamic college in the Maghreb. Region.Up to 900 students would have lived there to study law and theology. The monarchy supported them by providing food and lodging – the kitchen, however, had to be done by the students themselves. Madrasa Ben Youssef was transformed into a museum in 1960 and, since its renovation in 1999, it is one of the most popular sites in Marrakech. The bronze doorway at the entrance to the college, adorned with beautiful cedarwood and mosaic carvings, is an impressive masterpiece of its time.