Marrakech was founded in 1062 and was the capital of an Islamic empire for many years that stretched from western Africa to southern Spain. People tend to think of the Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries) as a period of intellectual darkness. Little was accomplished in literature, science, math, and learning relative to other periods of history. While this was true for much of Western Europe, other parts of the world flourished. The rise of Islam brought to the Middle East and North Africa a burgeoning of learning and creativity.  Marrakech was at the center of this period of enlightenment. In fact, much of the scientific and mathematical blossoming that occurred in Europe during the Renaissance was influenced by or derived from translations of Arabic texts brought into Spain by the Muslims or obtained during the Crusades.

            Each of the three houses in Hillsdale’s Smaller Learning Communities is named after an important medieval town. We chose the name Marrakech House because we wanted a name that symbolized learning and creativity. High school is a period in which teenagers emerge from the relative darkness and simplicity of middle school and childhood and enter into the complexities, responsibilities, and life-long learning of adulthood.  We want our students to feel like they are part of an intellectual community that will support and nurture their natural curiosity, creativity and desire to grow and mature. We hope that the theme of our house will help keep students grounded in these objectives.