 The Al @-@ Azhar Mosque was commissioned by the Caliph Al @-@ Mu 'izz li @-@ Din Allah for the newly established capital city of Cairo . Its name is a tribute to the name of Fatima Al @-@ Azhar , the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed . Jawhar al @-@ Siqilli , commander of the Fatimid army started construction of the mosque in 970 . It was the first mosque established in the city . The first prayers were held there in 972 , and in 989 the mosque authorities hired 35 scholars , making it a teaching centre for Shia theology . A waqf for the mosque was established in 1009 by Caliph al @-@ Hakim . 
