Al- Madrasa al–Mustansiriyya is one of the most important remaining Islamic buildings in Baghdad. It was constructed between 1227 and 1234 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir billah.

The brick building is on the left bank of the Tigris River. It is rectangular in plan with an area of 4836 square meters .The ground floor consists of riwaqs, iwans, a prayer hall, a kitchen and student dorms which open onto a rectangular interior courtyard. The upper floor is lined with rooms which also overlook the courtyard.

This building is known for the decorative brickwork cut in the soft yellow bricks of Baghdad. Along the length of the river side of the building is inscribed the name of the builder, the date of its founding and the dates of its restorations.
Students came here to study theology and the Quran, literature, medicine, mathematics and law. All four Sunni schools of law were represented at the madrasa: Hanbali, Shafii, Maliki, and Hanifi.