Tashfiniya Madrasa
The Tashfiniya Madrasa (), is a former madrasa in the city of Tlemcen, Algeria. Built in the early 14th century by the Zayyanid ruler Abu Tashfin I (r. 1318–1337), it was a major monument in the city and was celebrated for its rich architectural decoration. It was demolished by the French colonial authorities in 1876. History The Zayyanid (or Abd al-Wadid) dynasty were the first rulers to sponsor the construction of madrasas in the territory controlled by their state in the central Maghreb (roughly present-day Algeria), just as their contemporary neighbouring dynasties, the Hafsids and the Marinids, introduced the first madrasas to the eastern and western Maghreb, respectively. The first madrasa in Tlemcen, the Oulad el-Imam Madrasa (also called al-Madrasa al-Qadima or "Old Madrasa"), was founded by the Zayyanid sultan Abu Hammu I in 1310, though it has not been preserved to the present day. The Tashfiniya Madrasa, the second madrasa in Tlemcen, was founded by Abu Hammu's son and successor, Abu Tashfin I, during his reign between 1318 and 1337. It was also known as al-Madrasa al-Jadida or "New Madrasa". Abu Tashfin had arranged for the overthrow and assassination of his father, and the creation of a religious foundation