House of Knowledge

About

The House of Knowledge (Egyptian, Dār al-ʿIlm) was a medieval Egyptian university built in Cairo, Egypt in 1004 CE. Originally a library, the House of Knowledge was converted to a state university by the Fatimid Imam-Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in the same year. In keeping with the Islamic tradition of knowledge, the Egyptians collected books on a variety of subjects and their libraries attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. Al-Hakim was a great patron of learning and provided paper, pens, ink and inkstands without charge to all those who wished to study at the House of Knowledge.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.