Inside History
MUSTANSIRIYA MADRASAH
Baghdad, Iraq 1227 – present
Still standing in Baghdad, Iraq, the Mustansiriya Madrasah is one of the oldest universities in the world. It was established by Caliph Al-Mustansir, of the Abbasid Dynasty, in 1227 and took six years to be completed, opening its doors to students on 6 April 1233. At the time, madrasahs (schools) were used to foster Islamic thought and the Mustansiriya Madrasah was no different. Teaching Islamic doctrines as well as a range of other subjects, the school provided an advanced education for students who travelled to and stayed at the university to study under the guidance of prominent tutors.