Medersa or Madrasa Ben Youssef is one of the most interesting monuments of Marrakech. Built in 1570, the Medersa was during more than four centuries a shelter for students thirst for knowledge in various sciences

The Ben Youssef Madrasa was an Islamic college named after the Almoravid sultan Ali ibn Yusuf (reigned 1106–1142), who expanded the city and its influence considerably.

The college was founded during the period of the Marinid (14th century) by the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hassan and allied to the neighbouring Ben Youssef Mosque. The building of the madrasa was re-constructed by the Saadian Sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib (1557–1574). In 1565 the works ordered by Abdallah al-Ghalib were finished, as confirmed by the inscription in the prayer room.