Al-Azhar Mosque and Academy

Timeline

1. 970–972Al-Azhar, Cairo · CairoFatimid caliph al-Mu'izz ordered the construction of the Al-Azhar mosque in memory of the Prophet's daughter Fatima; the first prayers were held in 972, making it the core of Fatimid Shi'a missionary activity.
2. c. 1000–1020Al-Azhar, Cairo · CairoBy the early 11th century Al-Azhar had attracted scholars from various regions to teach Quranic exegesis, hadith, and basic jurisprudence, and between 1011 and 1020 it became Cairo's largest venue for religious study.
3. 1171–1300Al-Azhar, Cairo · CairoAfter the fall of the Fatimids, Al-Azhar gradually shifted to Sunni scholarly traditions, was formally institutionalized under the Mamluks, and became one of the highest seats of learning in the Sunni Islamic world.