Expansion of al-Azhar Mosque and Madrasa

Name: Expansion of al-Azhar Mosque and Madrasa
Start: 1025
End: 1026

Type Event Region Egypt Time 1025–1026

Around 1025 Fatimid caliph al-Zahir ordered the expansion of al-Azhar in Cairo, adding minarets and prayer space, consolidating its role as an Ismail…

Timeline

1025Cairo · CairoCaliph al-Zahir approved the expansion plan for al-Azhar, coordinated by court architects and religious officials, intended to display Fatimid Shia Ismaili orthodoxy and scholarly authority.
1025–1026al-Azhar Mosque · CairoThe works added three minarets and expanded the prayer hall and courtyard, using stucco decoration and arched structures typical of the Fatimid period, increasing the madrasa's capacity for scholars and students.

Sources

Al-Azhar: A Millennium of Islamic Learning — Yaacov Lev (2019)
Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction — Doris Behrens-Abouseif (1998)