Detail of Mosque at University of al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco. - stock photo

Fez, Morocco - June 1, 2015: The University of al-Qarawiyyin or al-Karaouine is a university located in Fes, Morocco. It is the oldest existing, continually operating and the first degree awarding educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records and is sometimes referred to as the oldest university. The al-Qarawiyyin mosque-religious school was founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 with an associated school, or madrasa, which subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the historic Muslim world.