Cairo
Al-Azhar was founded by the Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli in 970, a year after the founding of Cairo, and its name is usually linked to Sayyida Fatima…
Al-Azhar was founded by the Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli in 970, a year after the founding of Cairo, and its name is usually linked to Sayyida Fatima al-Zahra. Under Salah al-Din it became a Sunni institution, and for a thousand years it has been one of the great centres of Islamic learning, drawing students from every part of the Muslim world. The mosque has grown over the centuries around its original Fatimid prayer hall, with courtyards, madrasas and minarets added by Mamluk and Ottoman patrons, including the double-headed minaret of Sultan al-Ghuri. It stands opposite the mosque of Sayyiduna al-Husayn, at the heart of the old city, and remains open for prayer and study.