Al-Azhar Mosque
| al-Azhar Mosque | |
|---|---|
 Exterior view of Al-Azhar Mosque | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Leadership | Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi |
| Location | |
| Location | Cairo, Egypt |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Hypostyle Mosque |
| Completed | 972 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | 3 |
| Minaret(s) | 5 |
al-Azhar mosque (Template:Lang-ar) is a mosque in Islamic Cairo, commissioned in 970 during the Fatimid Caliphate by al-Mu‘izz li Dīn Allāh in the newly established capital city.[1] It was the first mosque established in Cairo,[2] and remains an influential institution in Egyptian society. Dedicated in 972, the mosque hired 35 scholars in 978,[1] starting the oldest and most prestigious university in the Islamic world.[3] Al-Azhar University remained a part of a mosque-school until it was officially designated as a university in 1961.[3]
History and Architecture
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Originally 280 feet long and 227 feet wide,[3] the mosque was built with three arcades around the courtyard.[1] Established as a Shī‘a institution, as the Fatimids adhered to the Ismāʿīli sect of Shī‘ism, the mosque served as the official headquarters of teaching Shī‘a Islam under the Fatimid caliphate.[3]
original structure => changes over time influenced by rulers, later 'city planning'. Courtyard (with pic).
Significance
University, role in Egyptian law
?
refs to use
references:
International Dictionary of University Histories
Footnotes
References
- Behrens-Abouseif, Doris: Islamic Architecture in Cairo (2 ed.) Brill. ISBN 90-04-09626-4.
- Rivoira, Giovanni Teresio; Gordon McNeil Rushforth: Moslem architecture Oxford University Press, 1918
- Summerfield, Carol; Mary Devine; Anthony Levi: International Dictionary of University Histories Taylor & Francis, 1998; ISBN 1-884964-23-0