Egypt's Al-Azhar hosted a grand celebration on Sunday to mark the 1,079th anniversary of its foundation in the year 970 AD, 359 on the Islamic Hijri calendar.

The anniversary of the establishment of the prestigious Sunni institution falls on the seventh day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Senior Islamic scholars and leading figures from Al-Azhar attended the celebrations.

As part of the celebrations, Al-Azhar honoured the winners of the first international Al-Azhar Holy Quran Competition, which is organised by the Al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars.

The contest included 1,200 competitors in the preliminary qualifiers, from Egypt and abroad.

Al-Azhar also organised an open iftar for about 3,000 people in Old Cairo.