Al Azhar Mosque, the wonder of the Fatimid era and a global university for Muslims, is situated in Cairo, Egypt’s capital since the Fatimid dynasty. It is located in an area named after the mosque on Alzhar Street in the Al Azhar District of Nasr City.

Egypt experienced its heyday during the Fatimid dynasty when Islamic art reached its pinnacle. Many artifacts and monuments that bear witness to the exceptional talent and attention to detail of Egyptian artisans have been left behind. After conquering Egypt in 358 AH/969 AD, the Fatimids established Cairo as their capital, a new metropolis north of Al Fustat. The first mosque they built in Cairo was Al-Azhar.

Al-Azhar mosque , interior view. Egypt Tours Group.

Nasr City In Cairo, Egypt

Nasr city was founded in the 60s of the past century during the reign of the Egyptian president Gamal Abdelnasser to be an extension to the nearby city called Heliopolis. It was named *Nasr* city according to the ruler Gamal Abdel Nasser and the word *Nasr* means victory in the Arabic language.

Who built Al Azhar mosque?

Al Azhar Mosque is one of the most significant and well-known mosques in Egypt and the Islamic world. For more than a millennium, it has served as both a university and a mosque. Muslims travel from all over the world to study anything and anything Islamic besides the standard curriculum.

The incorporation of all Islamic architectural styles sets Al-Azhar apart.

Al Azhar Mosque has five minarets, three of which are from the Mamluk era and two from the Ottoman era. It has undergone several alterations and additions over the Mamluk and Ottoman eras. The Minaret Al-Rasin, constructed by Sultan Al-Ghuri, is arguably the most exquisite of them all. It comprises eight chapters, the most well-known and exquisite of which is the Chapter of the Decorations.

The name “main door” refers to the entrance of the mosque. The decorators who sat in front of him to adorn the worshippers prior to Friday prayers are honored by the moniker.

Al-Azhar mosque, outside view. Egypt Tours Group.

are Egyptians Shia or Sunni?

While there are differences between Sunni and Shia Islam, most Arab/Muslim countries practice Sunni Islam, although some, like Iraq, practice full Shia Islam, I won’t go into too much detail about this distinction because it’s a very complex subject. Egyptians practices Sunni Islam, not Shia Islam.

Al Azhar Mosque incident with the French army

A very disrespectful incident occurred inside the walls of Al-Azhar Mosque one day, shocking the Egyptians and setting the Muslim world on fire. Some members of the French army, acting on orders from their leader Napoleon, entered the mosque with their shoes on and their horses, which was forbidden not only inside Al-Azhar Mosque but also in any Mosque else in the world.
The * Cairo Revolution* was sparked by that tragedy and was directed towards the French army.

Al-Azhar mosque, an overall view. Egypt Tours Group.

Interesting facts about Al Azhar:

• Egypt’s oldest Fatimid structure is the Al Azhar complex
• Although historians cannot agree on the mosque’s original name, the Fatimids most likely called it Al Azhar Mosque in honor of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima Al-Zahra. Salah el Dein was in charge of the transformation, and Sunni Muslims owe it to him. Originally intended to be a Shia mosque, it was built to teach Muslims about the Fatimids.
• Instead, Al Azhar Mosque became the largest mosque and university for teaching Sunni Islam to this day.
• Al Azhar’s educational program differs from that of other Egyptian schools in that it offers more disciplines and has its own tests; in other words, it’s like a full nation with its own set of laws.
• The mosque took almost two years to construct.
• Despite keeping its original design, the mosque underwent numerous renovations throughout the years, and it can now hold up to 2,000 worshippers.
• After the universities of Zaytouna and Al-Qarawiyyin in Tunisia and Morocco, Al-Azhar is said to be the world’s biggest and third oldest university.
• The University of Al Azhar has served as a location for Muslim women to learn and develop into extremely intelligent and powerful women.
• The university has produced many renowned academics, such as Ibn Khaldun.