Al-Azhar Mosque is simply one of a kind as there is no one like it in the world. In 970 A.D, the Islamic Shi’ite Dynasty the Fatimids that ruled Egypt from the 10th to 12th century constructed the mosque to be a place of worship and research in Islamic studies. The mosque main purpose was to spread Shi’ite beliefs to the Arabian community and maybe the entire world, But despite that, all the Sunni and Shi'i student put their differences aside and worked together to create something extraordinary as the mosque is a true symbol of pluralism and the only regulating authority on Islamic theology to the entire world.
Al-Azhar mosque was named Al Azhar after the Prophet Muhammed’s daughter Fatimah al-Zahraa. It was designated for the Shi'a Fatimid congregation and later, in 988 A.D it was turned into a university as it became the world’s second-oldest educational institution. The university was one of the world’s preeminent centers of learning, drawing students from Europe and all over the Islamic empire, it started with 37 scholars who worked in religious teachings but nowadays they are hands-on in every field of study from foreign languages and literature to all different fields of science. The university went through a lot over time as in 1171 A.D it was closed for nearly 100 years by the Ayyubid ruler when the Egyptians started practicing and teaching Sunni teachings, but in 1266 A.D it was reopened by Mamluk Sultan Al- Zaher Baybars, and the teachings was replaced to Sunni theology.
Al-Azhar mosque is known to be a harmonious blend of architectural styles as it was rebuilt, enlarged, and redesigned over more than 1000 years and various modifications and additions were made to the mosque throughout its long history. It holds five majestic minrates, three of which were built in 1340, 1469, and 1510, a large prayer area, religious and non-religious schools, and is famous for its breathtakingly beautiful marble central court it was at the center of the French opposition against the French forces in the late half of the 18th century because Al-Azhar mosque is more than a house of worship or education, it is a symbol for enlightenment and righteousness.
If you are already in Cairo and prefer to visit this landmark, then you have to check our Cairo day tours and choose your trip that's accompanied by a private Egyptologist tour guide. Or you can get a chance by exploring Cairo attractions included the Al Azhar mosque and discover the last attractions of Luxor & Aswan through our Egypt holiday tour packages from UK.
Cairo Stopover Tour Cairo stopover tour is the ultimate portal for every British traveler to discover th...
Day Tour in Cairo and the Pyramids For British Travelers Day Tour in Cairo and The Pyramids is a smashi...
Day Trip to Pyramids from Cairo for British Travelers Day trip to the Pyramids from Cairo is a brilliant...
Day Trip from Luxor to Cairo by Plane For British Travelers Day trip from Luxor to Cairo by plane is a ...
Egypt Tours Portal prides itself on being the best travel agency in Egypt as proven by our numerous positive reviews.
This review is a late, but I had to provide some feedback. My brother and I went on vacation in October 2022 and booked with Egypt Tours Portal. With on-line sc...Read More
My fiancé and I booked a private 5 day tour of Egypt with ETP starting in Cairo followed by Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor. We just got home and continue to talk ...Read More
This was the trip of a lifetime that I was able to have with my eldest son - an absolutely amazing experience. To be able to actually see the places and artifac...Read More
Highly recommend this tour company!!! Our guides, Moses, Mahmoud, Magred and Mohamed were exceptional, their knowledge of the history is more that accurate, the...Read More
Egypt Tours Portal is an excellent company to use to arrange your visit to Egypt. They work with phenomenal guides (we had Mahmoud Nour in Upper Egypt and Mohse...Read More
It was an absolutely amazing trip where we saw some of the most historical and beautiful sights in Egypt. Our tour guide Mohamed Elshemei was extremely knowledg...Read More