This artwork shows Fatima al-Fihri standing before the facade of the mosque she founded. The green-tiled roof visible above the arch, the institution that would become the world's oldest continuously operating university behind it.
Fatima al-Fihri founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez in 859 CE. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant who had settled in Morocco from Tunisia. When her father and husband died, she used her inheritance to build a mosque and an adjoining school that would evolve, over centuries, into a full university, teaching theology, grammar, rhetoric, logic, and the sciences. It has been operating continuously for over eleven hundred years.
The Guinness World Records lists al-Qarawiyyin as the world's oldest existing university. Its founder was a Muslim woman from North Africa. That fact deserves to be on your wall.
Every artwork in the Riwayah collection is available in four premium display formats, crafted to suit every home and interior style. Our canvas prints offer a rich, textured finish that brings depth and character to each piece, stretched on FSC-certified wooden bars for a refined gallery feel. For a minimalist and versatile look, our magnetic hangers use durable pine wood to hold your print securely without marking it, making it easy to change artwork whenever you like. Those seeking a classic, museum-style presentation can choose our premium wooden frames, crafted from responsibly sourced oak or ash with visible natural grain and protected with shatterproof plexiglass. And for a sleek, contemporary finish, our aluminium frames pair clean black metal with heavyweight matte paper for a polished, modern aesthetic. All prints use FSC-certified paper and high-quality inks, arrive ready to hang or assemble, and are produced on demand in the UK to reduce waste and ensure the highest standard of craftsmanship.
