Heritage

Ben Youssef Madrasa

#3of 9 places to visit in MarrakechMarrakech, Marrakech-Safi, Morocco

Also known as Medersa Ben Youssef · Ben Youssef Medersa · Madrasa Ben Youssef

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00–19:00. Entry: MAD 50 for foreign visitors. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 09:00 - 10:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Wolfgang B / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 09:00–19:00; Daily 09:00-19:00, per the official site, as of 2026.
Entry fee: MAD 50; For foreign visitors
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: 09:00 - 10:00
Best months: Mar – May, Sep – Nov
Address: Rue Assouel, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco

About Ben Youssef Madrasa

Ben Youssef Madrasa charges MAD 50 for foreign adults and opens 09:00-19:00 daily, as of 2026, making it one of the cheapest major monuments in the Marrakech medina. The building is a Quranic school on Rue Assouel, in the northern medina near the souks, with a central courtyard holding a shallow rectangular pool, surrounded by carved cedar, sculpted stucco and zellige tile panels. Ben Youssef Madrasa is best seen for its decoration: the upper walls carry stucco carved in calligraphy and geometric patterns, the doors and lintels are cedar, and the floors are alternating marble and zellige. Small upstairs student cells open onto the courtyard and let visitors see how the residents lived, in cramped rooms with a single window to the inner light well.

Best time of day: 09:00 - 10:00. Before tour groups arrive; the central courtyard pool is then still and the carved cedar and plaster are lit by side light.

Ben Youssef Madrasa timings

Ben Youssef Madrasa opens at 09:00 and closes at 19:00. The weekend is no different: Saturday and Sunday follow the same times.

Opening hours: 09:00–19:00; Mon–Sun 09:00–19:00; Daily 09:00-19:00, per the official site, as of 2026.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	09:00–19:00

Good to know: During Ramadan the madrasa opens 09:00-16:30 daily.

Opening hours compiled from medersabenyoussef.ma and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Ben Youssef Madrasa ticket price

Entry fees for Ben Youssef Madrasa
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket (foreign visitors)	MAD 50
Concession (student / senior)	MAD 20
Children	MAD 10

Ben Youssef Madrasa charges MAD 50 for foreign adults, as of 2026, per the official site; the Moroccan-resident rate is MAD 20 (with ID), children under 12 pay MAD 10, and groups of 20 or more pay MAD 30 per person. The concession field shows the Moroccan-resident rate; no separate student or senior rate was found. An audioguide is reported at MAD 30. Tickets are sold at the entrance and the official site also has a ticket-office page; some guides say online booking is unavailable, so verify on arrival.

Prices compiled from medersabenyoussef.ma and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Ben Youssef Madrasa

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

09:00 - 10:30
Opening CalmBest time to go
The courtyard and student cells are quiet and the pool reflects the carved walls without visitors.
Quiet
10:30 - 14:00
Tour Group Peak
Walking groups fill the small courtyard; the narrow stairs to the upstairs cells create bottlenecks.
Very busy
14:00 - 16:30
Afternoon Lull
Group traffic thins and the light through the courtyard shifts, useful for photographing the cedar work.
Moderate
16:30 - 19:00
Late Light
The site quietens toward closing at 19:00; low light suits the carved stucco.
Quiet

History of Ben Youssef Madrasa

Ben Youssef Madrasa was rebuilt in 1564-65 by the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib, according to the official site, on the site of an older foundation attributed by some sources to the Marinid dynasty in the 14th century (this earlier origin is reported but not firmly documented). It stood beside the Ben Youssef Mosque, founded in the 12th century by the Almoravids, and became a centre of Islamic legal and religious teaching in North Africa.

Ben Youssef Madrasa had 134 student rooms, according to the official site, arranged around the courtyard and a light well on two floors, and it housed students from Morocco and beyond for almost four centuries. It closed as a school in 1960 and opened as a historic site later in the 20th century. Following a royal directive from King Mohammed VI in 2017, the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs carried out restoration in 2018-2022, and the site now receives about 230,000 visitors a year according to the official site. Post-earthquake damage was not confirmed in sources, so verify access on arrival.

Rules & etiquette at Ben Youssef Madrasa

Ben Youssef Madrasa is a former religious school, and visitors are expected to dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and to keep voices low in the courtyard. Avoid touching the carved surfaces, since oils from hands degrade cedar and stucco. The stairs to the upstairs cells are narrow and steep.

Ben Youssef Madrasa permits photography without flash for personal use. Tripods, selfie sticks and drones are not appropriate in a space this small and drones are restricted in Morocco. Tickets are sold at the entrance for cash in dirhams, and the pay window is easy to miss among the souvenir stalls, so ask for the official ticket booth; the official site lists a phone number, +212 524 38 41 12, for enquiries.

Tips for visiting Ben Youssef Madrasa

1
Ben Youssef Madrasa is a natural first stop for a northern medina morning, before the souks fill; the lane leading to it is narrow and vendors line the route, and most visitors reach it on foot from Jemaa el-Fnaa in about 15-20 minutes. Buy tickets at the entrance ticket booth, walk the ground-floor courtyard first, and then climb to the student rooms, where the crowd thins.
2
Ben Youssef Madrasa sits near the Almoravid Koubba (Koubba Ba'adiyn), a small 12th-century domed structure that is a short walk away, has a separate ticket and is worth combining if you are interested in early Almoravid decoration; check its current hours before making a special trip. The Marrakech Museum, in the Dar Menebhi Palace, is next door and also sells separate tickets. Bring small notes because the ticket booth may struggle to change large ones. Combine the visit with lunch in the Mouassine quarter, not at the terraces on the main lane, where prices are higher.

How to reach Ben Youssef Madrasa

The red star is Ben Youssef Madrasa; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Rue Assouel, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, MoroccoDirections in Google Maps

From Jemaa el-Fnaa
1.3 km · 15-20 min
Free on foot; petit taxis can reach the edge of the medina for about MAD 20-30 but cannot enter the lanes
From Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)
9 km · 45-60 min
MAD 30 one-way on Bus 19 (as of 2026)
From Marrakech railway station (ONCF)
6 km · 20-30 min
Typically MAD 30-50 on the meter or an agreed fare

Nearest airport

From Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)

approximately 9 km, 25-35 minutes by taxi.

Nearest station

From Marrakech railway station (ONCF)

approximately 6 km, 20-30 minutes by taxi; the medina lanes near the madrasa are pedestrian.

Ben Youssef Madrasa FAQs

How much does Ben Youssef Madrasa cost?

Ben Youssef Madrasa costs MAD 50 for foreign adults, as of 2026, per the official site. Children under 12 pay MAD 10, Moroccan residents pay MAD 20 with ID, and groups of 20 or more pay MAD 30 each.

What are the opening hours of Ben Youssef Madrasa?

Ben Youssef Madrasa is open daily from 09:00 to 19:00, as of 2026. During Ramadan hours are 09:00-16:30.

When was Ben Youssef Madrasa built?

Ben Youssef Madrasa was rebuilt in 1564-65 by the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib, according to the official site. Some sources attribute an earlier foundation to the Marinid dynasty in the 14th century.

How many rooms does Ben Youssef Madrasa have?

Ben Youssef Madrasa has 134 student rooms, according to the official site, arranged over two floors around the central courtyard. It stopped operating as a school in 1960.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places