Ez-Zitouna University, located in Tunis, Tunisia, is one of the oldest educational institutions in the Muslim world, with its origins dating back to 737 CE. It was founded around the Zitouna Mosque, a significant religious and intellectual center in North Africa. Over the centuries, Ez-Zitouna became a renowned hub for Islamic scholarship, attracting students and scholars from across the Maghreb and beyond. The university played a pivotal role in the preservation and dissemination of Islamic knowledge, particularly in fields such as theology, jurisprudence, and Arabic language studies. Its curriculum traditionally focused on religious and legal studies, including Quranic exegesis, Hadith, and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Over time, it also incorporated other subjects like logic, philosophy, mathematics, and the natural sciences, reflecting the broad scope of Islamic intellectual tradition. Ez-Zitouna University holds significant cultural and historical importance as a symbol of Tunisia’s rich scholarly heritage and its ongoing contribution to the intellectual life of the Muslim world. Today, it continues to offer a blend of traditional Islamic education alongside academic disciplines, preserving its legacy as a cornerstone of Islamic thought.
