Built in AH21 (AD642), the old mosque, or Amr ibn al-Aas Mosque, was the first mosque in Egypt and Africa; it was also the fourth biggest mosque in the Islamic world. The pulpit caused dispute between Amr ibn al-Aas and Omar ibn al-Khattab, the caliph at the time. Some people tried to stir up trouble, so they complained to Omar ibn al-Khattab that the ruler of Egypt, Amr ibn al-Aas, prays on the heads of worshippers. To please Omar ibn al-Khattab, Amr ibn al-Aas removed the pulpit until the caliph’s death, after which it was returned to the mosque. Amr ibn al-Aas Mosque was the first university, even before Al-Azhar.

Source: Daily News Egypt April 12, 2018 12:11 UTC