Fatima al-Fihri: The Woman Who Founded the World’s First University

Two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population are women — but did you know the world’s first university was founded by a woman? 🤯 Meet Fatima al-Fihri, the 9th-century Muslim refugee who built education itself — literally. This episode of For the Love of History dives into the incredible story of how one woman in medieval Morocco changed the entire world’s relationship with knowledge. TK takes us on a whirlwind journey through Fatima’s life, legacy, and revolutionary spirit, revealing how her creation — Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez — became the model for every modern university that followed. From the tassels on your graduation cap to the oral defense of your thesis, it all started with Fatima. ✨ You’ll learn: How a Muslim refugee woman built the first degree-granting university in 859 CE 🕌 Why Fez, Morocco, became the intellectual capital of the medieval world How Al-Qarawiyyin University inspired Oxford, Al-Azhar, and the European Renaissance The forgo...