Ancient Libraries of Morocco and How They Preserved Islamic Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the ancient libraries of Morocco?

Morocco's ancient libraries developed from the 8th century CE onward. They grew inside mosques, madrasas, royal palaces, and private homes. The Qarawiyyin Library in Fez is among the oldest continuously operating libraries in the world.

Q: What is the Qarawiyyin Library?

The Qarawiyyin Library sits inside the Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez. It dates back to the founding of the mosque in 859 CE. It holds hundreds of rare Islamic manuscripts and serves as a symbol of Morocco's deep library heritage.

Q: What is the Zaydani Library and where is it now?

The Zaydani Library was the personal manuscript collection of Saadian Sultan Zidan Abu Maali. Spanish forces seized it in 1612 CE while it was being transported by sea. The approximately 4,000 manuscripts ended up at the Escorial Palace in Spain, where they remain today.
 
Q: How many paper mills did Fez have? 

At its peak, Fez had up to 104 paper mills. This high level of paper production directly supported the growth of manuscript copying and library building across Morocco.
 
Q: Who built private libraries in Morocco? 

Scholars, judges, high-ranking officials, and rulers all built private libraries. Some carried their collections with them on pilgrimage or when they relocated. This personal connection to books was a defining feature of Moroccan intellectual culture.
 
Q: What destroyed manuscripts in Moroccan libraries?

Manuscripts faced threats from insects, rodents, flooding, political instability, war, looting, and deliberate burning. Some Almohad caliphs burned philosophy books they considered heretical. Despite these threats, a significant portion of Morocco's manuscript heritage survives today.

This blog draws on the original scholarly post by Dr. Moez Dridi, Senior Archivist at the Heritage Library of Qatar National Library, translated by Abolhaggag Mohammed Bashir. Published April 2025 at qnl.qa.