Fatimah was called al-Zahra (the luminous), and the institution was named in her honor.[10] It was founded as mosque by the Fatimid commander Jawhar al-Siqilli at the orders of the Caliph and Imam Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah as he founded the city for Cairo. It was begun (probably on Saturday) in Jumada al-Awwal in the year AH 359 (March/April 970 CE). Its building was completed on the 9th of Ramadan in the year AH 361 (24 June 972 CE).