Al-Azhar was founded between 970 and 972 as the mosque of the new Fatimid capital and a centre for its religious teaching. Dynasties and official doctrines changed, while the institution continued to expand and eventually became a leading centre of Sunni Islamic learning.
Its gates, minarets and arcades belong to different periods, each extension adding another layer. From the courtyard, changing minaret profiles and repeated arches make that history visible. The architecture grew around worship and study, functions that remain essential to understanding the place.
