OCR Text |
Show OLDEST SEAT OF LEARNING University of Cairo, II Athar, Has for Centuries Been Famous Throughout the East. The University of Cairo, El Az-har, Az-har, as it is called, for centuries has been one of tho most famous in the world, and wherever you go in Ma-J hometan countries you will hear it spoken of as a great institution, one of tho greatest, oldest and most influential in-fluential in all tho universe, with a faculty of wise, learned and progressive pro-gressive men. It is the only institution for higher high-er education under the care of Islam, Is-lam, and young Mahometans " of wealth and future responsibilities are sent there from every land in which faith in the prophet is proclaimed. pro-claimed. It is perhaps tho oldest of all universities, being tho outgrowth of the Serapeum which was established at Alexandria by Ptolemy Soter 300 B. C, in connection with tho great library. Saladin, however, was the actual founder of the present institution, about 1170. He gave it its present home, which it has occupied ever since. It is not what we would consider a university. At least, it is not arranged ar-ranged or conducted upon tho plan we aro accustomed to; but it has from 10,000 to 12,000 students from all Mahometan countries. Most of them, however, are from Egypt and tho countries immediately immediate-ly surrounding it. American Antiquarian. |