Built in 971 A.D., this mosque and university were named after Fatima Al Zahraa, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad. This place is considered the oldest university in the world with the first lecture being delivered in 975 A.D. Constructed by Jawhar El-Sequili, the mosque is a replica of all styles and influences that have passed through Egypt. There are five very fine minarets with small balconies and intricately carved columns. The building has six entrances, with the main entrance being the 18th century Bab Al Muzayini (barber's gate), where students were once shaved. The latticework-screened residential quarters of the madrassas on the right side date from the Mamluke period. These are rarely open to visitors, but tourists may enter the prayer hall, which is warmly carpeted and supported by alabaster pillars.
The university's library (not open to visitors), which was consolidated in 1897, is considered second in range and importance only to Dar Al Kotob Al Masriah in Egypt, as far as the number of Islamic books and manuscripts are concerned. The library comprises of 595,668 volumes of the most precious manuscripts and rare books, some as old as the 8th century. Entrance fee is free of charge.