EGYPT: Al Azhar Mosque Cairo
The al Azhar Mosque was established by
the Shi`ite Fatimid dynasty shortly after the founding of Cairo in AD 969.
Its name, al-Azhar which means blooming, is thought to be a reference to
Sayeda Fatima Al-Zahra, the Prophet Muhammad`s daughter after whom the
Fatimids are named. Built by the Caliph Muizz Li-Din Allah, the mosque
opened for prayers in AD 972. The madrassa within the complex, initially
spread Ismaili-Shi`ite teachings, switching to mainstream Sunni doctrine
when the Ayyubids assumed power in 12th-13th centuries. Under the Mameluk
rulers of Egypt, al-Azhar was elevated to the highest ranking institution of
Islamic education in the world, a position is still occupies. Run by a
Supreme Council headed by a Grand Imam, it combines theology with the
faculties of arts and science, philosophy, literature and Islamic
jurisprudence and is attended by some 10,000 students. Non-Muslims are
admitted to the mosque except at prayer times. Of six entrances, the main
one, Bab al Qaitbay on Sharia al-Azhar, opens into a courtyard surrounded by
porticos supporting 300 white marble columns. Above the gate is a
mishrabiyeh type box where the sultan used to attend Friday prayers. Of five
minarets, the one on the left of the entrance is original. The Kufic
inscription, on the interior of the mihrab, is also original although the
prayer-niche itself is restored. Al Azhar Mosque with other mosques, hammams
and fountains was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979