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Egypt & North Africa
Al-Azhar Mosque
Cairo, Egypt
The oldest working Islamic university and a beacon uniting jurisprudence, language and creed. Its successive minarets are the highest testimony of Fatimid architecture, and its library holds hundreds of thousands of heritage volumes.
Story & history
Jawhar al-Siqilli founded it in 359 AH and it turned to scholarship within generations; thousands of scholars graduated through Fatimid, Mamluk and Ottoman madrasas, and it remains the world's largest Islamic educational institution.
Getting there
Pin the site on the map or head straight there with your maps app; opening hours and access vary by season.
Quick facts
- A working university for a millennium
- Minarets from successive eras
- A vast heritage library
Visiting tip
Pray there in the evening after touring the old bazaar — unforgettable.