Which historic Egyptian institution, founded in the 10th century, remains one of the world’s oldest and most respected centers of Islamic learning?

Explanation

• Al-Azhar in Cairo was founded in the 10th century and is still a leading centre of Sunni Islamic learning.
• It began as a mosque and grew into a teaching institution, which is why it is counted among the world’s oldest universities.
• Option D Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco is also very old and is often called the oldest continuously operating university, but it is in Morocco and not Egypt.
• Option C Bayt al-Hikmah was the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, a translation and research centre rather than a university.
• Option B Nizamiyyah refers to the schools founded by Nizam al-Mulk in the Seljuk period, mainly at Baghdad and Nishapur.