The madrasa was commissioned in 1321 by Abu al-Hassan, who was at that time a prince and heir apparent to his father, Sultan Abu Sa'id Uthman II. Abu al-Hassan went on to become sultan in 1331 and became a prolific patron of mosques and madrasas in Fes. He reportedly built this madrasa in honour of his father. The building was completed by 1328. The madrasa was initially known as Madrasa al-Kubra because it was larger than the other madrasas of the same era. It also marked a significant evolution in the richness of its decoration, and features some of the earliest zellij to be found in any Moroccan madrasa. It was reported that the madrasa's construction had cost 100,000 gold pieces. Later it came to be known as the Madrasa as-Sahrij for the iconic sahrij in the center of its courtyard. Abu al-Hassan also built another smaller madrasa adjoining it, commissioned in 1323 and initially known as the Madrasa es-Sughra. That madrasa later came to be known as the Madrasa as-Sba'iyyin, the name it still has today, presumably due to the madrasa's specialization in this subject. Together, these two madrasas provided both lodging and teaching for students studying at the nearby Andalus Mosque, much as the Seffarine and al-Attarine Madrasas served students at the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque across the river. The madrasas were also accompanied by another funduq or hospice, but it has since disappeared. The madrasa was assigned a fqih and a number of other positions such as lecturers and Qur'an reciters, all of whom were provided with accommodations and salaries. The madrasa's upkeep and operations were funded in large part by charitable endowments designated under a habous or waqf. In addition to its function as an educational institution, Marinid madrasas like this one could also serve as centers of community life, functioning as a mosque, guesthouse, and venue for local ceremonies. around one of the windows.|alt=|left
Restorations
The madrasa was restored multiple times, including during the Saadian period and again between 1917 and 1924 by the Service des Beaux-Arts under the French Protectorate. The madrasa complex eventually fell into neglect. There were initial efforts to repair and protect it in the 2000s, including from the World Monuments Fund, but the madrasa suffered from further vandalism, including serious damage done to the adjoining Sba'iyyin Madrasa in 2009 due to looting. The two madrasas were more recently restored by the local heritage agency ADER-Fès and reopened in 2017, as part of a wider program of rehabilitation for Fes el-Bali which started in 2013.
Architecture
The madrasa covers 478 square meters. The structure follows the prevalent pattern of the Marinid-era madrasas, with a rectangular sahn surrounded by galleries which led to accommodations for the students on either side. Sleeping quarters for the students also existed on the second floor and numbered 26 in total. On the south side of the courtyard, across from the main entrance, was a prayer hall with a mihrab. The foundation plaque and inscription of the building is located in this room. The sahn is richly ornamented by zellij tiles, carved wood, and carved stucco, in a style shared with Nasrid architecture of the same era such as that of the Alhambra palaces. A passage between the sahn and the street entrance gives access to the stairs to the upper level and then to another, slightly smaller, courtyard to the west which contains the latrines.
