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Famous Waqf Through History

Waqf has funded wells, orchards, universities and hospitals for over 1,400 years. A few of the endowments that shaped that history.

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Famous Waqf

Famous Waqf in The Middle East and North Africa

A selection of landmark endowments, institutions and public-benefit projects shaped by the Waqf tradition across the region.

Al Azhar Mosque and University, Cairo - Egypt

One of the oldest centres of Islamic learning in the world. Its waqf tradition helped sustain scholarship, worship and public education for more than a thousand years.

Al Andalus Mosque, Fez - Morocco

A historic mosque in Fez connected to learning, worship and community service, reflecting how waqf supported civic life in Moroccan cities.

Cairo University, Cairo - Egypt

A major Egyptian institution of higher education, showing how endowed and public-benefit models helped expand access to knowledge and social progress.

Zaytouna University, Tunis - Tunisia

A long-standing centre of Islamic scholarship in Tunis, rooted in mosque-based education and sustained by traditions of charitable support.

Charity Foundation for the Memorization of the Holy Qur'an, Riyadh - KSA

A charitable institution supporting Qur'an memorization, teaching circles and religious education through organised, ongoing giving.

Mohammed bin Rasheid Al Maktoum Foundation - United Arab Emirates

A modern philanthropic foundation focused on knowledge, education and development, reflecting a contemporary form of strategic charitable investment.

King Saud University endowment, Riyadh - KSA

An endowment model that supports research, academic development and long-term institutional sustainability through dedicated assets.

Waqf in Europe

Endowments and public-good institutions across Europe.

Examples of endowed, mission-led and public-benefit institutions that show how the Waqf idea continues to resonate in different settings.

National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) - UK

An endowed public-benefit institution supporting innovation, research and creative solutions that strengthen society over the long term.

Athens Community Centre - Greece

A community-focused institution offering shared support and services, representing the public-good spirit behind sustainable endowments.

European Institute of Human Sciences, Wales - UK

An educational institution serving Islamic learning and community development in Europe, echoing the waqf tradition of sustaining knowledge.

Merton College, Oxford University - United Kingdom

One of Oxford's historic colleges, sustained by endowed assets that helped preserve education, scholarship and institutional continuity.