Al-Azhar Mosque

알아즈하르 모스크

Founded in 970–972 as the congregational mosque of the Fatimid capital and home of one of the world's oldest universities, Al-Azhar grew over a millennium around its marble courtyard and keel-arched arcades. Its skyline is defined by the Mamluk minarets of Qaytbay (1483) and the twin-headed minaret of al-Ghuri (1510).

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Egypt
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Built: 972
Height: 60 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Al-Azhar Mosque?

Al-Azhar Mosque is in Cairo, Egypt.

When was Al-Azhar Mosque built?

Al-Azhar Mosque was built in 972.

How tall is Al-Azhar Mosque?

Al-Azhar Mosque is about 60 m tall.

Al-Azhar Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo, Egypt. It was started in 970 and dedicated in 972 as the first mosque of a brand-new capital founded by the Fatimid caliphate. Its Arabic name means 'the most resplendent' or 'shining one'. Over more than a thousand years it grew around a courtyard with arcades, and today its minarets give the old city a famous skyline.

It is also famous because of Al-Azhar University, which began inside the mosque as a school. It is the second oldest university in the world that has run continuously, after Al-Qarawiyyin in Fes. Cairo later earned the nickname 'the City of a Thousand Minarets'.

A mosque and a school

Cairo was founded by the Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli for the caliph al-Mu'izz after the conquest of Egypt in 969. The mosque slowly became a centre of learning, and in 989 its leaders hired 35 scholars. Because it began as a Shiite Ismaili institution, the later Sunni rulers led by Saladin ignored it for a time. Under the Mamluk sultans it was repaired and expanded again, and it has since become a respected centre for studying Sunni Islam and Islamic law.

Minarets and growth

Many rulers added to the mosque, so its parts come from different centuries. The skyline is shaped by Mamluk minarets, including the minaret of Qaytbay from 1483 and the twin-headed minaret of al-Ghuri from 1510. In 1961 the university, which had been part of a mosque school from the start, was officially made an independent university. Today al-Azhar is still very influential in Egypt and across the Sunni Muslim world.

Fun facts

Its university, founded in the 10th century, is one of the oldest in the world.
Al-Azhar was the first mosque built in Cairo, a city later nicknamed 'the City of a Thousand Minarets'.
Its university is the second oldest still running in the world, after Al-Qarawiyyin.
One of its minarets, built in 1510, has a twin head.