Hotels near Ben Youssef Madrasa

Ben Youssef Madrasa was one of the largest Islamic colleges in North Africa, rebuilt by the Saadian dynasty in the 16th century, and it housed up to 900 students in small cells around a central courtyard. That courtyard, with its reflecting pool, carved cedar, stucco and zellige tilework, is one of the most beautiful spaces in Morocco. It reopened in 2022 after a long restoration.

Upstairs, the tiny students' rooms and their small windows show how austere college life was. Nearby, the Marrakech Museum in the Dar M'nebhi palace and the Almoravid Koubba, one of the city's oldest surviving buildings, make easy additions. Tickets are sold at the door.

Mid-morning is when tour groups arrive, so early or late visits are calmer.

Pro Tip: Arrive at opening for an empty courtyard and the clearest reflections in the pool, then continue into the tanneries quarter to the east if you want to see leather being dyed.