Career
The madrasa is still in operation today as the University of Qarawiyyin which is the world's oldest university, and the mosque is one of the largest in North Africa. Al-Fihri was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and had been educated. The family was part of a large migration to Fes from the town of Qayrawan (in modern Tunisia), which lent its name to the mosque and madrassa.
Mariam, Fatima's sister, was the sponsor of the Al-Andalus mosque, also in Fes. Both were part of a larger tradition of women founding mosques. Despite being founded by a woman, the madrassa did not admit women until the mid-20th century.
