Located in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre on the southern coast of Lebanon, the Dar Ar-Rikham School for Magic (Arabic: مدرسة دار الرخام للعلم السحر , Madrasa Dar Ar-Rikham lil I'lm As-Sihr) is one of several schools in that teach magic to young wizards and witches in the Middle East. While there are other notable schools in the region, particularly in Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Morocco, Dar Ar-Rikham is one of the oldest and the most prestigious.
In the Middle East, young wizards and witches were homeschooled or got apprenticeships, with spells often being specific to families and apprentice lines. It wasn't until the Crusades of the 10th century CE that the idea of a magical school was introduced and it was then that a group of master wizards and witches in Tyre decided to establish their own school for magic. At that time, Tyre was a prominent centre for the magical community with many master magic wielders living and teaching magic there since before the Romans conquered the region; but with the founding of a school dedicated to teaching magic, this group hoped to unite the magical community and provide children with a better and more rounded education of magic and over time, this school grew to become the Dar Ar-Rikham. The region hadn't always been stable, especially during the late 13th and 20th centuries and the early 21st century due to war but the school has always managed to remain hidden and safe, even becoming a sanctuary for people who were affected, and to this day continues to teach aspiring master witches and wizards.
Dar Ar-Rikham prides itself on the quality of its education and its rich student culture. It is housed in marble palace (after which the school was named) on an unplottable tract of land on the outskirts of Tyre and the language of instruction is Arabic. A house system does not exist at the Dar as the founders believed that it would further divide a student body that was already diverse with children from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and religions. In fact, it is this diversity that is celebrated and both school and the students pride themselves for it. The Dar is also known for the skill of its alumni in wandless magic as it is given equal focus as wand magic; in the Middle East, wandless magic remains popular as historically, people used to practise it more due to a combination of tradition and lack of access to proper wands, and the Dar seeks to preserve this tradition.
In the Middle East, young wizards and witches were homeschooled or got apprenticeships, with spells often being specific to families and apprentice lines. It wasn't until the Crusades of the 10th century CE that the idea of a magical school was introduced and it was then that a group of master wizards and witches in Tyre decided to establish their own school for magic. At that time, Tyre was a prominent centre for the magical community with many master magic wielders living and teaching magic there since before the Romans conquered the region; but with the founding of a school dedicated to teaching magic, this group hoped to unite the magical community and provide children with a better and more rounded education of magic and over time, this school grew to become the Dar Ar-Rikham. The region hadn't always been stable, especially during the late 13th and 20th centuries and the early 21st century due to war but the school has always managed to remain hidden and safe, even becoming a sanctuary for people who were affected, and to this day continues to teach aspiring master witches and wizards.
Dar Ar-Rikham prides itself on the quality of its education and its rich student culture. It is housed in marble palace (after which the school was named) on an unplottable tract of land on the outskirts of Tyre and the language of instruction is Arabic. A house system does not exist at the Dar as the founders believed that it would further divide a student body that was already diverse with children from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and religions. In fact, it is this diversity that is celebrated and both school and the students pride themselves for it. The Dar is also known for the skill of its alumni in wandless magic as it is given equal focus as wand magic; in the Middle East, wandless magic remains popular as historically, people used to practise it more due to a combination of tradition and lack of access to proper wands, and the Dar seeks to preserve this tradition.
