Al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar / Historic Cairo
Step into one of the world's great centres of Islamic scholarship, where more than a thousand years of Fatimid, Mamluk and later architecture surround a luminous marble courtyard still used for worship, teaching and religious study today.
Historical Overview
Al-Azhar began as the principal congregational mosque of the newly founded Fatimid city of Cairo. After the Fatimid period, its role changed substantially: Friday prayer was suspended for a period under Salah al-Din, then restored in the Mamluk era, when Al-Azhar developed into a major centre of Sunni scholarship. Over successive centuries rulers, scholars and patrons expanded the complex, adding madrasas, riwaqs and architectural elements from different periods.
Why Visit?
Al-Azhar is not simply an archaeological monument. It remains an active mosque, an active teaching institution, one of Cairo's most important religious landmarks, and a physical record of more than a millennium of Islamic architecture.
What to See
- Main marble courtyard
- Historic prayer halls
- Fatimid architectural core
- Mamluk madrasas
- Multiple historic minarets
- Riwaqs
- Historic entrances and carved stonework
Getting There
Destination / الوجهة
الجامع الأزهر
Point to this and ask them to take you there
من فضلك وديني الجامع الأزهر
Public Transit Options
Metro
Attaba — Lines 2 & 3
Recommended Route
Metro: Attaba -> short taxi/ride-hailing transfer or walk through El-Muski -> Al-Azhar
Media Gallery
The main marble courtyard of Al-Azhar Mosque
Good to Know
Best Combined With
Make the most of your visit by combining this with:Al-Hussein Mosque,Muhammad Bey Abu al-Dhahab Complex,Naguib Mahfouz Museum,Khan al-Khalili,Sultan al-Ghuri Complex
Opening Hours
Check specific site for hours.
Ticket Prices
Plan Your Visit
- Duration: 45 - 75 mins