Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo (must see)

Al-Azhar Mosque, commonly known as al-Azhar in Egypt, is a mosque situated in Cairo's historic Islamic center. It was commissioned by Jawhar al-Siqilli shortly after Cairo became the new capital of the Fatimid Caliphate in 970. This mosque holds the distinction of being the first mosque established in a city that would eventually be nicknamed "the City of a Thousand Minarets." Its name is generally believed to be derived from "az-Zahrāʾ," which means "the shining one," a title given to Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad.

After its completion in 972, and the appointment of 35 scholars by the mosque authorities in 989, the mosque gradually evolved into what it is today. It is the second oldest continuously operating university globally, following Al-Qarawiyyin in Idrisid Fes. Al-Azhar University has always been recognized as the primary institution in the Islamic world for studying Sunni theology and Islamic law, known as sharia. In 1961, the university, which had been an integral part of the mosque school since its inception, was nationalized and officially designated as an independent university, Al-Azhar Al Sharif, after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.

Throughout its more than a millennium-long history, the mosque has experienced periods of neglect and periods of high esteem. Initially established as a Shiite Ismaili institution, it fell out of favor with Saladin and the Sunni Ayyubid dynasty that he founded. They removed its status as a congregational mosque and discontinued stipends to students and teachers at the school. These actions were reversed during the Mamluk Sultanate, which oversaw numerous expansions and renovations. Subsequent rulers of Egypt displayed varying degrees of respect for the mosque and provided differing levels of financial support, both for the school and the upkeep of the mosque. Today, al-Azhar remains a profoundly influential institution in Egyptian society, held in high esteem within the Sunni Muslim world, and serves as a symbol of Islamic Egypt.