 The architecture of al @-@ Azhar is closely tied to the history of Cairo . Materials taken from multiple periods of Egyptian history , from the Ancient Egyptians , through Greek and Roman rule , to the Coptic Christian era , were used in the early mosque structure , which drew on other Fatimid structures in Ifriqiya . Later additions from the different rulers of Egypt likewise show influences from both within and outside of Egypt . Sections of the mosque show many of these influences blended together while others show a single inspiration , such as domes from the Ottoman period and minarets built by the Mamluks . 
