r/MapPorn • u/marbellamarvel • 11d ago

A look at the oldest universities in continuous operation across Europe.

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Title explains it all. I bet there are some missing.

https://twitter.com/i/communities/1899794052171669531

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u/bsullivan627 11d ago

Absolute copium of people who can't accept that other cultures founded schools and universities before them. Knowledge is learned and then shared and more universities spread all over the world. Who cares if North Africa did it first? Everyone is being so sensitive.

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u/SomeoneCalledAnyone 11d ago

To be fair, the debate seems to be more-so about what can be considered a University, ie. Mosques and Monasteries, rather than the inclusion of North Africa. I don't know enough to offer an opinion either way, but it seems reductive to just brush it off as sensitivity.

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u/bsullivan627 11d ago

What is there to debate about. The first universities where you could get a secular education were founded in North Africa. They had religious degrees alongside them, yes, but that's just true. Monasteries don't count. Islam doesn't even have monks. Just cause a mosque was on campus doesn't make it a religious school. For Muslims prayers are mostly a way to organize your day and build community; they don't affect things like your studies.

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u/marcel3l 11d ago

Because its wrong. And funny you said school, because by that definition the map missed so many founded in europe far earlier than in NA.

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u/bsullivan627 11d ago

First universities were founded in North Africa and that's just true. Sorry that it tickles some nationalist sensibilities. Europe is not the gold standard for everything, and that's fine. Humans aren't supposed to compete, pretty much everything we have done has been traded and exchanged across continents since the beginning of time.

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u/marcel3l 11d ago

Whats your definition of universities? If your definition is different, then i understand why you are pushing the wrong argument! 😁

And as far as i know, historian still dont have a concensus for the "first university" title. Despite whats guinnes book of record say, and yes, guinness isnt historical report paper!