MADRASAS

GAZI HUSREV-BEY'S  MADRASA

Adress: Sarači 49, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina

Tel.: 00387 33 534 888; Fax: 00387 33 534 384

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Web: www.medresa.ba

Gazi Husrev-bey's madrasa is the first educational institution in Bosnia and Hezegovina and it is one of those few in the world that has continually been operative for 470 years. It was established on 26th Rajab 943 hijri that is 8th January 1573. Its founder is a grandson of Turkish sultan Bayazit II, the most eminent governor of the sultan and the most significant donor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His vakf-nama is the permanent base for the organization and the functioning structure of this school.

In his vakf-nama he commends that in this school besides spiritual and traditional studies "everything else that is required regarding the demands of time, place and custom" must be introduced. This wise and foresighted testament has made it possible for this school to remain competitive throughout the centuries. Amongst the graduates from this madrasa are not only several thousands of alims, imams, khatibs, muallimas, muftis, hafiz, but also renowned philosophers, artists and scientists.

Gazi Husref-bey's madrasa today functions as a specialized high school. The syllabus is designed by the Riyasat of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina and approved by the Ministry of education of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the course takes four academic years and the medium of education is Bosnian.

Madrasa is a boarding school and besides the regular classes it offers the various extracurricular activities. Worth mentioning here are the school chorus that so far has issued several audio and video recordings and the school gazette Zemzem that has been regularly publishing since 1968.

Gazi Husref-bey's madrasa is joint school system with separate branches for boys and girls.

Director of this madrasa is Mensur ef. Malkić.

ELČI IBRAHIM-PASHA'S MADRASA

Adress: Mostarska bb, 72270 Travnik, Bosnia & Herzegovina;

Tel.: 00387 30 512-023, 00387 30 510-422; Fax: 00387 30 518-015

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Web: internet.ba/medresa

Elči Ibrahim Pasha's madrasa was founded in 1705.  The founder of this madrasa is Elči Ibrahim Pasha, one of the vezirs (state ministers) who resided in Travnik, the place wherefrom the state affairs of Bosnia were managed.

After the Second World War, with the establishment of the communist regime, madrasa was closed along with many other schools of its kind. Out of 33 madrasas that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the Second World War only Gazi Husref Bey's madrasa remained opened under the regime after the war.

In the year1994 Elči Ibrahim Pasha's madrasa was reopened after 53 years. The girls' branch was opened for the first time in the history of this madrasa in the year 2004/05. One class of girls was enrolled in that academic year as it was planed to have another additional class of girls and one class of boys every year.

Elči Ibrahim Pasha's madrasa in Travnik, where the manners and conducts are observed with utmost care, is a religious high school designed to offer its students education that will prepare them for any university in the country as well as abroad.

The courses in this school are designed for four years education.

The director of the school is Dževdet Šošić.

MADRASA "OSMAN ef. REDŽOVIĆ"

Adress: Veliko Čajno bb, 71300 Visoko, Bosnia & Herzegovina;

Tel: 00387 32 745 771, Fax: 00387 32 745 770

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Web: www.medresa.org

Madrasa "Osman ef. Redžović" was founded in 1992/93. It is situated in Čajangrad near Visoko. It was named after the well known alim, Osman ef. Redžović. He was born in 1884 in Strgačina (Rudo) and passed away at the age of 51 in 1935. He is buried in the courtyard of a mosque in Gračanica.

Madrasa is structured in modern style and it has separate school building and the dormitory.

Director of the madrasa is Dženan Handžić.

MADRASA "DŽEMALUDDIN ČAUŠEVIĆ"

Adress: Šepići bb, 77220 Cazin, Bosnia & Herzegovina;

Tel/fax: 00387 37 514-893
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Web: www.medresa-cazin.ba

Founded in 1867, initially this madrasa in Cazin was a wooden structure. As a reactionary measure to suppress the attempt of the armed revolt against the Austro-Hungarian rule, it was burned to the ground. The new stone construction was erected in 1890.

It remained functional until 1918 when it had to close down due to financial problems.

In 1945 the communist government seized the premises of the madrasa along with other properties of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was reopened in the midst of the terrible aggression on Bosnia and the Bosniaks, when this area was brought into the isolation from the other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 08.09. 1993. Madrasa was named after the reisu-l-ulama Džemaludin Čaušević, the most renowned scholar in the region.

Today it is the only madrasa in the mufti unit of Bihać and it covers the needs for this kind of schooling for the population of over 300 000 of Una-Sana Canton.

The course takes four years. Madrasa has separate boys and girls branches.

Director is Salih Dervić.

KARAĐOZ-BEY'S MADRASA

Adress: Maršala Tita 162, 88000 Mostar,  Bosnia & Herzegovina

Tel. 00387 36 550-920; Fax: 00387 36 550-921

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Web: medresamostar.com

Mostar used to have as many as 11 madrasas in the age when these schools were the only institutions of high education. The oldest and the most renowned was Karađoz-bey's madrasa (KBM). Its founder is Mehmed (Muhammad) bey Zaim, son of Seadet, who was originally from Potoci, Bijelo Polje near Mostar. In Mostar city he remained to be known as Karađoz bay. This name he received for his striking appearance (karađoz -black-eyed). In his vakf-nama that states of the construction of the madrasa in 1557/8, we find out he was a brother of a great vezir (state minister) Rustem- pasha and the sultan's governor in Herzegovina Sinan-pasha. As far as the time of the construction and the opening of this madrasa are concerned there are diverse reports.

Thus, Professor Hifzija Hasandedić reports that the madrasa was opened before the year1570, and in the book by Muhamed Hadžijahić, Mahmut Traljić and Nijaz Šukrić  (published, 1991, Sarajevo), Islam and the Muslims of B&H, on page 70 it is claimed that Karađoz-bey's madrasa was opened some times before the year 1557.

However, it was built in the courtyard of the mosque with same name. It consisted of bedrooms for the students, library and classroom for lectures. Porch and spacious courtyard were just in front of the madrasa. For the purpose of maintenance and financial support to madrasa, Karađoz-bey donated 100 000 dirham that were to be given on loan with the12% interest rate. These means were to be used to finance the students and the professors. Karađoz-bey's madrasa continued to function uninterrupted until the year 1918.

When city was freed from Srbo-Montenegran aggressors in 1992, mufti's office in Mostar and the Islamic Community in coordination with the Cultural circle of Muslims, have been making collaborated efforts for the reconstruction and the reopening of Karađoz-bey's madrasa. However, the events that followed immediately after the May 9, 1993 have interrupted these activities. Plans were finally realized in 1995, when at last, after 77 years, the seats of Mostar's oldest higher educational institution were again occupied by the enthusiastic students. The first after-war generation (354^th since its establishment) counted thirty nine students.

When the premises of Ćejva Ćehaja's madarsa, former Museum of Herzegovina, were reconstructed, madrasa was moved to new premises. The opening ceremony took place on August 29, 1997. The classes started soon after on 1st September the same year. The school has been provided with latest equipment and is situated in the very center of the city, next to Tara, the Old bridge tower on the left bank of the Neretva river.

Director of Karađoz-bey's madrasa is Aid Tulek.

BEHRAM-BEGOVA MADRASA

Adress: Behram-begova 1, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina;
Tel: 00387 35 28 11 51; 00 387 35 28 11 52
Fax: 00 387 35 28 11 54
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Web: www.medresatz.edu.ba

Behram-begova medresa in Tuzla is the oldest educational institution in northeast Bosnia and among the oldest medresaas in this part of the world. Relevant historical sources show that it started with its operation before the year of 1626. The old Medresa's building was built in 19th century in arabic-maur style, and during history it was restored and enlarged several times. Before the Second World War, Medresa has 20 rooms in total, in which it was able to accommodate 120 students. Medresa also operate during the World War II, but in very difficult conditions.

In school year 1948/49, after coming back from winter break on January 15th, students were informed that the operation of Medresa had been halted until further notice. At that time, there were 100 students attending Medresa. Some 24 of them continued their education at Mektebi-nuvab (Shari school for sharia judges) in Sarajevo and some of them became kadis (Sharia judges) later on. The Medresa's old building was demolished in 1974.

After 44 years the operation of Medresa was reactivated in 1993, and teaching process started on October 6th in the same year. In the first year, there were 77 male student and 40 female students attending Medresa and the educational process was organized in rented classrooms in one of the primary schools in Tuzla.

In 1994, Medresa was relocated and occupied newly restored buildings, whose space capacities were adapted to the needs of Medresa's students and teachers. Today, the complex of Behram-begova medresa in Tuzla consits of school and hostel buildings, as well as waqf building and brand new and beautiful mosque.

The director of the school is Ahmed Hatunić.