Al-Azhar Mosque

Al-Azhar Mosque (Arabic: الجامع الأزهر, romanized: al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit. 'The Resplendent Congregational Mosque', Egyptian Arabic: جامع الأزهر, romanized: Gāmiʿ el-ʾazhar), dem know am insyd Egypt simply as al-Azhar, be a mosque insyd Cairo, Egypt insyd de historic Islamic core of de city. Na dem commission am as de new capital of de Fatimid Caliphate insyd 970, na ebe de first mosque dem establish insyd a city wey eventually earn am de nickie "de City of a Thousand Minarets".The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As is the oldest mosque in modern urban Cairo (as well as the oldest mosque in Africa), built in 642 CE. However, the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, as well as several others in modern-day Cairo that are older than al-Azhar, was built in the city of Fustat which the modern-city of Cairo later incorporated. Na dem usually think dem derive ein name from az-Zahrāʾ (lit. 'the shining one'), a title dem give to Fatimah, de daughter of Muhammad.

After ein dedication insyd 972, den plus de hiring by mosque authorities of 35 scholars insyd 989, de mosque slowly develop into wat ebe today.

De affiliated Al-Azhar University be de second oldest dem continuously run one insyd de world after Al-Qarawiyyin insyd Idrisid Fes. Na dem long regard am as de foremost institution insyd de Islamic world for de study of Sunni theology den sharia, anaa Islamic law. Insyd 1961, de university, na dem integrate am within de mosque as part of a mosque school since ein inception, na dem nationalize am den officially designate an independent university, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, dey follow de Egyptian Revolution of 1952.

Over de course of ein over a millennium-long history, na dem alternately neglect de mosque den highly regard am. Secof na dem found am as a Shiite Ismaili institution, Saladin den de Sunni Ayyubid dynasty wey na he found shun al-Azhar, wey he remove ein status as a congregational mosque den deny stipends to students den teachers for ein school. Na dem reverse dese moves under fe Mamluk Sultanate, under whose rule chaw expansions dem renovations take place. Na later rulers of Egypt show differing degrees of deference to de mosque wey dem provide widely varying levels of financial assistance, both to de school den to de upkeep of de mosque. Today, al-Azhar remain a deeply influential institution insyd Egyptian society wey ebe highly revered insyd de Sunni Muslim world den a symbol of Islamic Egypt.

Name
Na de city of Cairo be established by de Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli, on behalf of de Fatimid caliph al-Mu'izz, wey dey follow de Fatimid conquest of Egypt insyd 969. Na dem originally name am al-Manṣūriyya (المنصورية) after de prior seat of de Fatimid caliphate, al-Mansuriyya insyd modern Tunisia. De mosque, dem first use insyd 972, fi be initially named Jāmiʿ al-Manṣūriyya (جامع المنصورية, "de mosque of Mansuriyya"), as na ebe common practice for de time. Na ebe al-Mu'izz wey rename de city  al-Qāhira (القاهرة, "de Victorious"). Na de name of de mosque thus cam turn Jāmiʿ al-Qāhira (جامع القاهرة, "de mosque of Cairo"), dem first transcribe am insyd Arabic sources.Rabbat 1996, p. 53.

History

 Fatimid Caliphate 
After de conquest of Egypt, na Jawhar al-Siqilli oversee de construction of de royal enclosure for de caliph ein court den de Fatimid army, wey he make dem build al-Azhar as a base make dem spread Isma'ili Shi'a Islam.Summerfield, Devine & Levi 1998, p. 9. Dey locate near de densely populated Sunni city of Fustat, Cairo cam turn de center of de Isma'ili sect of Shi'a Islam, den seat of de Fatimid empire.Petry & Daly 1998, p. 139.

Jawhar order de construction of a congregational mosque for de new city wey work commence for April 4, 970.Creswell 1952, p. 36. Na dem plete de mosque insyd 972 wey dem hold de first Friday prayers der for June 22, 972 during Ramadan.

Yaqub ibn Killis, a polymath, jurist den de first official vizier of de Fatimids, make al-Azhar a key center for instruction insyd Islamic law insyd 988.Daftary 1998, p. 95. De year wey dey follow, na dem hire 45 scholars make dem give lessons, wey lay de foundation for wat go cam turn de leading university insyd de Muslim world.Behrens-Abouseif 1992, p. 58.

Architecture
Foundation den structural evolution under Fatimids
Na de original structure of de mosque be  for length insyd den  wide,Dodge 1961, p. 5. wey na dem make am of three arcades wey situate around a courtyard.Behrens-Abouseif 1992, p. 58. Na to de southeast of de courtyard be de original prayer hall, dem build as a hypostyle hall, five aisles deep, though plus ein qibla wall slightly off de correct angle.Rabbat 1996, pp. 47–50.Holt, Lambton & Lewis 1977, p. 713. De marble columns dey support de four arcades wey make up de prayer hall na dem reuse from sites extant at different times insyd Egyptian history, from Pharaonic times thru Roman rule to Coptic dominance.Rabbat 1996, pp. 47–48.Rivoira & Rushforth 1918, p. 154. Na de different heights of de columns dem make level by dem dey use bases of varying thickness. De stucco exterior dey show influences from Abbasid, Coptic den Byzantine architecture.Behrens-Abouseif 1992, p. 59.

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 External links 


Category:10th-century establishments insyd de Fatimid Caliphate
Category:10th-century mosques
Category:972 establishments
Category:Fatimid architecture insyd Cairo
Category:Medieval Cairo
Category:Mosque buildings plus domes insyd Egypt
Category:Mosques insyd Cairo
Category:Old Cairo
Category:Religious buildings den structures dem plete insyd de 970s
Category:Mosque buildings plus minarets insyd Egypt
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