Medersa Abou Al Hassan

Northern Atlantic Coast


Next to the Grand Mosque's magnificent entrance gate, this medersa (school for studying the Quran) is a showcase of Merinid architecture and decorative arts. Both it and the mosque date from the first half of the 14th century and were commissioned by Almohad Sultan Abou Al Hassan. The medersa takes the form of a narrow courtyard surrounded by a gallery, and every available surface is encrusted in intricate zellige (colourful mosaic tiles), carved stucco and carved cedar wood.

Small student cells surround the gallery on the upper floor, from where you can climb through an aperture to the flat roof, which has excellent views of Salé and across to Rabat. The guardian who shows you around will expect a small tip – around Dh50 for an hour.

Transportation

  • tram: Bab Lamrissa

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northern Atlantic Coast attractions

1. Grand Mosqée

0.04 MILES

This medina landmark dates from the beginning of the 11th century. It's the third-largest mosque in Morocco and a striking architectural mix of the…

2. Zawiya of Sidi Abdallah Ben Hassoun

0.07 MILES

Salé's patron saint, Sidi Abdallah Ibn Hassoun, was a 16th-century Sufi cleric and teacher. He's revered by Moroccan Muslims as a patron of travellers in…

3. Souq El Merzouk

0.23 MILES

Textiles, basketwork and jewellery are crafted and sold in this souq. Also on sale are the woven grass mats used in mosques, for which Salé is famous.

4. Slave Prison

0.25 MILES

Built by the dastardly Sallee Rovers pirates and recently restored, this slave prison next to the Muslim cemetery hadn't officially opened during our most…

5. Souq El Ghezel

0.26 MILES

This large, tree-shaded square makes an interesting stop on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons when women run an auction and employ men to show off the goods…

6. Souq El Kebir

0.28 MILES

In the medina's main souq, hole-in-the-wall emporiums sell household goods, leather and wood. The spice souq is nearby, where you can pick up mounds of…

7. Koubba of Sidi Ben Ashir At Taleb

0.31 MILES

This white koubba (shrine of a saint) at the edge of the medina was built to honour a 14th-century Spanish adherent and teacher of Sufism. The faithful…

8. Medina

0.39 MILES

Small and relatively easy to navigate, this 13th-century walled medina retains an almost medieval flavour. It's visited on a regular basis by the city's…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "morocco/sale/attractions/medersa-abou-al-hassan/a/poi-sig/1403486/1299091",
      "destination": "Northern-Atlantic-Coast",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Morocco",
      "region": "Northern-Atlantic-Coast",
      "position": "superzone"
    }