Al-Azhar Mosque
The Light of Cairo
In the year 970 CE, as Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty, a new mosque rose at the city’s center. It was named Al-Azhar — “the splendid” — in honor of Fatima al-Zahra, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. From the very beginning, it was more than a place of prayer. It was the symbol of a new capital, a statement of faith and authority at the heart of a rising city.
The mosque was designed with elegance and ambition. Its great courtyard opened beneath the sky, surrounded by arcades of white stone. Its mihrab pointed the faithful toward Mecca, while its minarets soon rose to call the city to prayer. Over time, rulers from every dynasty added their mark — new minarets, new wings, new domes — so that Al-Azhar became not only the first mosque of Cairo, but also a chronicle of the city’s evolution in stone.
Experience it
From its earliest days, Al-Azhar became more than a mosque. Scholars gathered beneath its arches, and teaching circles formed in its courtyards. By the 10th century, it was already evolving into a university — one of the oldest still active in the world.
For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has been the intellectual heart of the Islamic world. Generations of students came to study Qur’an, theology, philosophy, mathematics, and law. Its reputation reached far beyond Egypt: scholars from across North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond traveled to Cairo to learn within its walls. Even today, Al-Azhar University continues this tradition, its graduates shaping thought and faith on a global scale.
The mosque itself reflects this long history of learning. Every dynasty left its mark: the Fatimids established its foundation, the Mamluks raised elegant minarets, the Ottomans expanded its wings.
Experience it
Al-Azhar is not one style, but many. Over more than a thousand years, each dynasty left its mark, so that today the mosque is a living gallery of Islamic architecture.
Step into the great marble courtyard, and you are surrounded by a forest of minarets — each from a different era, each with its own form and ornament. The Fatimid arches of the earliest mosque remain, simple and elegant. The Mamluks added soaring minarets, slender and intricately carved. The Ottomans expanded the prayer halls, their domes rising high above the city.
For visitors, the effect is mesmerizing. Sunlight reflects on polished marble, filtering into arcades that seem to stretch endlessly. The call to prayer echoes from minaret to minaret, weaving the past and present into one sound. Each angle offers a different perspective — the balance of grace and strength, tradition and renewal.
With us, your visit to Al-Azhar Mosque is more than sightseeing. It is a walk through a thousand years of faith and learning, where marble courtyards, slender minarets, and timeless prayers reveal Cairo’s living heart.
Here, the city’s soul still speaks.