historicwomen:Fatima al-Fihri ?- 880Fatima al-Fihri’s father was a wealthy business man, and when sh
historicwomen:Fatima al-Fihri ?- 880Fatima al-Fihri’s father was a wealthy business man, and when she and her sister inherited his fortune, they wanted to do something beneficial with the money. She lived in Fes, in current day Morocco and there she established the world’s first academic degree-granting institution of higher learning, the University of al-Karaouine. This University is still functioning today. Fatima knew the importance of education first hand. Her family had humble beginnings, it wasn’t until her father made a fortune that she and her sister could gain an education and their independence. Fatima’s University started as the Al Qarawiyyin mosque and developed into one of the most prestigious Universities in the world. Fatima felt the University was her work in the name of God.The institution welcomed people of all religions, in fact the University alumni includes Pope Sylvester II, who would later introduce Islamic ideas of mathematics to medieval Europe and Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher and physician. The University houses the oldest library in the world and serves as a reminder of Islamic dedication to science and knowledge. -- source link
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