First University

 

Question: 

When were the first madrassah and the first university built?

Gemini’s Answer:

Defining the "first" of these institutions depends on how you distinguish between a religious school, a center of higher learning, and a modern degree-granting university.

The First Madrasah

The term madrasah simply means "school" in Arabic. While informal learning circles (halqas) existed in mosques from the birth of Islam in the 7th century, the first "formal" madrasahs—defined as purpose-built buildings with state-funded teachers and dormitories—appeared later.

 * Informal Origins (7th Century): The Suffa at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina is often cited as the spiritual precursor to the madrasah system.

 * The Formal System (11th Century): The Nizamiyya of Baghdad, founded in 1065 CE by the Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk, is widely considered the first of the "great madrasahs." It set the standard for institutionalized education, providing free tuition, food, and lodging for students.

The First University

The definition of a "university" is often a point of friendly debate among historians.

Institution	Location	Date Founded	Status
University of Al-Qarawiyyin	Fez, Morocco	859 CE	Recognized by Guinness World Records and UNESCO as the oldest existing, continually operating educational institution in the world. Founded by Fatima al-Fihri, it began as a mosque and evolved into a major center for sciences and religion.
University of Bologna	Bologna, Italy	1088 CE	Often called the “first university” in the Western sense because it was the first to use the term universitas and operate as a corporation of students and masters independent of religious orders.
Taxila / Nalanda	Ancient India	5th Century CE	These were massive centres of higher learning (Taxila in modern-day Pakistan; Nalanda in India) that functioned like universities centuries before the others, though they did not survive to the modern era.

The Verdict

 * First Madrasah: The Nizamiyya in Baghdad (1065 CE) is the most famous first "formal" madrasah.

 * First University: Al-Qarawiyyin (859 CE) holds the title for the oldest operating institution, while Bologna (1088 CE) is the first to fit the specific European legal definition of a university.

Note: It’s worth noting that Al-Qarawiyyin was founded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, who used her entire inheritance to create a legacy of learning that has lasted over 1,100 years.