al-Azhar Mosque - Cairo
History
Al-Azhar Mosque of Cairo was established in 972 (361H) and first Friday prayer was held here on 22 June. Attached with mosque was a madrassa which later turner into a university and thus making it the second oldest university in the world. In the beginning, this mosque was called Jami al-Mansuriya. Later it’s name was changed to Jami al-Qahira and finally it was named Jami al-Azhar during the reign of Fatimid caliph al-Muizz.
Legacy
The Fatimid Caliphate of Cairo worked hard to establish this great mosque and university a learning centre in the Muslim World but after the fall of the Fatimid it was turned into a Sunni mosque. This mosque was a great learning centre for those who seek knowledge and wisdom.
This mosque lost it’s importance during the rule of Ayyubid dynasty but later Mamluks changed the status of this mosque to Jami once again. The minaret to the left is called the Minaret of Qaytbay. It was built in 1483 and thus replacing an old Fatimid brick minaret.
In the beginning, this mosque was very small in its size but over the centuries and after numerous extensions mosque came to its’ current size. This mosque was a central point to deliver the Islamic teachings and sciences of the time in the past. During the Mamluk period, most of the prominent Muslim scholars of the time taught in al-Azhar.
The French occupied Egypt in July 1798, initially French were peaceful but later they attacked and bombarded this mosque. It is believed that the French troops tied their horses inside the mosque and Napoleon ordered the closing of the mosque.Though none of the original minarets or the domes have survived but all the additions in the later centuries had added its’ own colour and character.
