Cherratine Madrasa (School of the Rope Makers), Fes

Heading up Rue Cherratine, you will find yourself at the Cherratine School, a place that quietly breaks the pattern set by many of Fes’s better-known madrasas. Built in 1670 under Moulay Rachid, the founder of the Alaouite dynasty, this school marks a clear shift away from the lavish Merinid look. No heavy ornament, no visual fireworks—just a building designed to do its job and do it well.

At first glance, its layout may seem familiar if you’ve already seen the 14th-century Merinid schools around the Medina. But pause for a closer look, and it feels different. Cherratine was built to house more than 200 students, and practicality takes the lead. The bronze-engraved entrance doors open into long, narrow residential blocks with rows of compact rooms—known as douiras—where students once lived, studied, and likely argued over lessons late into the night...

The building’s name offers a clue to its surroundings. Cherratine means “rope makers,” a nod to the craftsmen who once worked in the nearby market. Recognized as a historic monument since 1917, the school has been carefully restored, and unlike many similar sites, it doesn’t keep you at arm’s length. Beyond the central courtyard, most of the rooms are open to explore, giving a rare sense of how students actually inhabited the space.

If you’re expecting decoration, you might be surprised. If you’re curious about how education really functioned in old Fes, this stop delivers—quietly, honestly, and without trying to impress.