Al-Ajhar University's Current Teacher And Student Numbers

Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, is a prestigious institution with a rich history. Founded in 970 or 972, it is Egypt's oldest degree-granting university and the only ancient university in the Arabic world that has survived as a modern university. With a student population of over 2.2 million in the 2021/2022 academic year, Al-Azhar offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate study programs. The university has 81 faculties, 9 institutes, 359 academic departments, 42 centres, 6 hospitals, and 27 general administration units. However, specific information on the number of teachers at the university is not readily available.

Al-Ajhar University's student population

Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, is a prestigious centre of Islamic learning and the oldest degree-granting university in the country. It was founded in 970 or 972 and has a student population of over 2.2 million as of the 2021/2022 academic year. The majority of these students are in primary education, with over 1.2 million enrolled at this level. There are also approximately 442,000 students at the preparatory level and 381,460 in secondary education.

The university itself, excluding the wider Al-Azhar education system, has 81 faculties, 9 institutes, 359 academic departments, 42 centres, 6 hospitals and 27 general administration units. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate study programmes.

Al-Azhar has a rich history. It was founded by the Shi’ite Fatimid Dynasty as a "madrasa", teaching students from primary to tertiary level. The format of education remained informal for much of its early history, with no entrance requirements, curriculum or degrees. Students studied Islamic law, the Qur'an, theology and the Arabic language. It was nationalised and reformed in the early 1960s, with the addition of faculties of medicine and engineering, and the admission of women in 1962.

Al-Ajhar University's teaching staff

Al-Azhar University, a public university in Cairo, Egypt, is one of the most prestigious universities for Islamic learning. It is Egypt's oldest university, founded in 970 or 972 by the Fatimid Caliphate as a centre of Islamic learning.

The university's educational format was initially informal, with no entrance requirements, curriculum, or degrees. Students studied Islamic law, the Qur'an, theology, Arabic, logic, grammar, and how to calculate the phases of the moon. Today, Al-Azhar University offers a wide range of secular faculties, including business, economics, science, medicine, engineering, and agriculture, alongside its prestigious Islamic teachings.

The university has experienced significant growth and development over the centuries. It gained university status in 1961, and women were first admitted in 1962. Currently, Al-Azhar University comprises 81 faculties, 9 institutes, 359 academic departments, 42 centres, 6 university hospitals, and 27 general administration units. Unfortunately, the exact number of teaching staff at the university is unclear. However, it is known that in 1996, over 4,000 teaching institutes in Egypt were affiliated with the university.

Al-Azhar University's library is considered the second most important in Egypt, after the Egyptian National Library and Archives. The university also oversees a national network of schools with approximately two million students.

Al-Ajhar University's faculties

Al-Ajhar University, also known as Jamīʿat al-Azhar, is a public university in Cairo, Egypt, and is the country's oldest degree-granting university. It was founded in 970 or 972 and has 81 faculties, 9 institutes, 359 academic departments, 42 centres, 6 hospitals, and 27 general administration units.

The university has a rich history as a centre of Islamic and Arabic learning. Initially, the university offered informal education with no entrance requirements, curriculum, or degrees. Students studied Islamic law, theology, and the Arabic language. Over time, Al-Ajhar expanded its curriculum to include modern subjects such as science, business, economics, medicine, engineering, and agriculture.

Today, the university's faculties are diverse and wide-ranging, reflecting its multidisciplinary nature. The main thematic focus areas include:

• Science and Technology
• Management and Business Administration
• Arts, Languages and Humanities
• Agriculture, Dentistry and Medicine

Al-Ajhar University's history

Al-Azhar University, a public university in Cairo, Egypt, has a rich history that dates back to its founding in 970 or 972 AD by the Fatimid Caliphate as a centre of Islamic learning. Named after the mosque in Cairo's medieval quarter, it is associated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Islamic Cairo. The name "Al-Azhar" is derived from "Al-Zahra", which means "the luminous", and is an homage to Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad and wife of Ali, who was also his cousin.

During its early years, Al-Azhar University had a relatively informal educational format, with no entrance requirements, a non-existent formal curriculum, and no degrees offered. However, students could study a range of subjects, including Islamic law, the Qur'an, theology, Arabic language, logic, grammar, and even how to calculate the phases of the moon. The institution was initially a "madrasa," providing instruction from primary to tertiary levels.

In the 12th century, following the overthrow of the Isma'ili Fatimid dynasty, Saladin, the founder of the Sunni Ayyubid dynasty, converted Al-Azhar to a Shafi'ite Sunni centre. This transition led to the destruction of numerous texts, with estimates ranging from 120,000 to 2,000,000 books. Despite this tumultuous period, Al-Azhar endured and, under the Mamluks in the late 13th to the 15th centuries, it experienced a revival and continued to thrive as a centre of Sunni scholarship.

In the late 19th century, Al-Azhar began to implement more formal procedures, introducing admission requirements and examinations. Additionally, modern subjects were incorporated into the curriculum, some of which were made obligatory. During the early 1960s, the university underwent substantial reforms, including nationalisation, and established faculties of medicine and engineering. This period also marked the first admission of women to the university, starting in 1962.

Today, Al-Azhar University is the only ancient university in the Arabic world that has successfully transformed into a modern educational institution by including secular subjects in its curriculum. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate study programs across various faculties and departments. The university's library is considered the second most important in Egypt, after the Egyptian National Library and Archives.

Al-Ajhar University's ranking

Al-Azhar University is a public university in Cairo, Egypt, and is one of the oldest universities in the world. It was founded in 970 or 972 by the Fatimid Caliphate as a centre of Islamic learning. Today, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning globally.

Al-Azhar University is ranked:

• 1001-1200th in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
• 801-1000th in the World University Rankings 2025.
• Top 6.3% in the world and top 2000 in the Center for World University Rankings 2024.
• 2293rd in the world and 6th in Egypt in the uniRank University Ranking 2024.

Al-Azhar University is the only ancient university in the Arabic world to survive as a modern university by including secular subjects in its curriculum. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate study programs across various faculties, institutes, departments, centres, hospitals, and general administration units. The university has a very large student population, with over 50,000 students enrolled, including more than 25,500 international students.

The university's library is considered the second most important in Egypt, after the Egyptian National Library and Archives. Al-Azhar also has a physical library, housing, sports facilities, and study abroad and exchange programs for its students.

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