Princess Fatima al-Fihri invented University in 859CE

Fatima al-Fihri (? – 880) (nicknamed Oum al Banine, meaning the mother of the kids) was the daughter of Mohammed al-Fihri, with whom she migrated to Fes, Morocco from Qairawan, located in present-day Tunisia. In 859, Fatima founded the oldest academic degree-granting university existing today, the University of Qarawiyyin, with money inherited from her father, a wealthy businessman. She is said to have fasted in order to become closer to Allah during the building of the university.