1 Khan EL Khalili Bazaar

The Khan El-Khalili is one of the most interesting bazaars, not only in Egypt, but also in the Middle East.

 
It was named after Prince Jaharkas Al-Khalili, who was one of the powerful Mamluke Princes in the 14th century. It is famous for its unusual, typically oriental souvenirs, and handmade crafts. The Medieval atmospheres of this traditional market, together with the labyrinth layout of the streets, gives visitors o lot of pleasure and a glimpse into what medieval markets once were like.

Cafes, restaurants, shops, and large number of vendors and buyers constitute a dynamic panorama of the place. Drinking Hibiscus, Karakare, Helba, or any of the various typical Egyptian beverages, is a pleasant experience for visitors and guests to get a real taste experience. For smokers, there is the Shisha, or water pipe, to be tried.
Every visitor can take the opportunity to safely enjoy the walk through the narrow streets of Khan El-Khalili. We strongly recommend visiting this vivid bazaar, but keep in mind that in open traditional markets, the prices are not fixed; remember to bargain (haggle) to get the best price. The Khan El-Khalili Bazaar is place where art and commerce come together to give a unique and remarkable, harmonious experience.

0 Mosque of Al Azhar

The mosque of Al Azhar is the first ismalic university built in cairo around 1000 years ago and it was the official mosque to have the Friday prayer. It was built by the great Fatimid army leader and the builder of Cairo, Gawhar El Seqelly with the orders of the Fatimid Caliph, Al Mui'z le Din Allah. The building work of the mosque of Al Azhar started in the year 970 AD and it was finished three years afterwards in 972 AD.
 

The objective behind building it was to make it the official mosque of Cairo, the same as the Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas in Fostat, Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun in Qata'ea. It was also established to be an educational institution to teach Shiite teachings and spread it all over the country.

Architectural description

The area that was first built in the Azhar Mosque consisted of only half the area it has now. Additions, new buildings, and restorations were done during all of the following eras until the Mosque of Al Azhar Appeared in the shape it is today.

The early mosque of Al Azhar consisted of three iwnas, prayer halls, around and a Sahn, an open air courtyard. The gate of the mosque was located in the mosque's Western walls and this section contained a simple Fatimid minaret. This section was decorated with Kofy Islamic writings and plant ornaments which are the only remaining feature of the ancient mosque that is still available now.

The old Mihrab of the mosque was richly decorated with ornaments and Kofi writings of Quran. There is also a Mamluk style dome that goes back to the 15th century which took the place of the Fatimid dome.

The mosque of Al Azhar had three gates in its Northern, southern, and western walls. The original menbar built by Gawher El Seqqely was then transferred to the Mosque of Al Hakim. When the mosque was built the Imam used to deliver his Friday speech one week in Al Azhar Mosque, another in the Mosque of Al Hakim, another in the mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, and another Friday in Amr Ibn El Aas Mosque.

Al Azhar Mosque in the Fatimid period

The mosque of Al Azhar went through a lot of changes in the Fatimid period. Al Hakim be'amr Allah added 27 amazing lamps to the mosque which were made of silver. What remains of the works of Al Hakim is a small wooden door that is richly decorated with Kufi writings which was the dominant decoration feature of this era

In 1125 AD, the Fatimid ruler Al Amer be'ahkam Allah established a Mihrab for the mosque made out of the Aro Turkish wood which was decorated with a lot of plant and geometric shapes.

In 1149 AD the Fatimid Caliph, Al Hafez Le Dine Allah wanted to expand the area of the mosque so he added some space to the Sahn of the mosque. He also added some decorations to the walls of the mosque and it was built out of plaster.

The mosque of Al Azhar in the Mamluk period

In 1266 AD, Al Zaher Baybars ordered to build a Minbar and nothing remains of it except its historical building note which is now kept in the museum in Algeria.
 

A new Madrasa, the Tabrisy Madrasa, Islamic teaching institution was built by Baybars Khazendar, the army commander in the reign of Al Nasser Mohamed Ibn Qalaun. It is located to right hand when you enter the mosque. This added a bigger space to the Mosque which hosted Islamic teachings classes and also had a large Islamic books library.

The Afghaweya Madrasa was built in 1340 AD and it is located on the left hand side of the entrance and it hosts the library of Al Azhar in the present time.
 

Al Gawhareya Madrasa which was built in the Eastern Southern section of the mosque and it is a small Madrasa consisting of four Iwans and a small Sahn.

The mosque of Al Azhar in the Ottoman era

The Mosque of Al Azhar has seen a lot of building works in the Ottoman era. The biggest and most important building work was done by the Amir Abdel Rahman Katkhuda in 1753 AD as he expanded the area of the mosque by adding a Riwaq behind the Mihrab and it was built on a higher level than the whole mosque. He also added a new Minbar and Mihrab. Katkhuda added two great gates as well: the first in the Southern wall and it was called the Sa'ayda gate and the Shroba gate in the Eastern section of the mosque and added a minaret beside it. Katkhuda was also responsible for building the beautiful Western gate with its amazing Islamic decorations and which is now the main entrance of the mosque.

The mosque has been also restored by the supreme council of antiquities in the modern time

Al Azhar as a mosque and as an educational institution has played a major role in the whole Egyptian history, especially in fighting the French and British occupation.

Al Azhar University

It is the largest and most important Islamic teaching institution in the whole world and it is the second modern university to be built in history. Islamic teaching in Al Azhar University, which was transformed from Shiite teaching to Sunni teaching, started in the Fatimid era and it is still one of the most important education institutions in Egypt and in the whole world.

0 The Mosque Of Al Hakim

Egypt is famous in particular for the diversity and multitude of its Islamic monuments which were built through different eras. The building of Islamic monuments in Egypt has started since the Moslems first opened Egypt in 641 AD. From this point on, Egypt has been ruled by many Islamic dynasties: starting with the "Rashdin Caliphs", the Tulunids, the Fatimids, the Ayyubids, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and ending with rulers from the family of Mohamed Ali.

Each of these periods had its own requirements and characteristics which were clearly reflected on the shape, size, and style of the architecture. Moreover, Each ruler tried his best to build structures that express the features of the period he went through.

Among the most famous Islamic monuments in Egypt , there is the Mosque of Mohamed Ali in the citadel of Salah El Din, the Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, the Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, The mosque of Al Azhar, and the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al As, the oldest mosque ever built in Egypt and in Africa.one of the oldest Islamic monuments in Egypt, and its builder, Al Hakim, one of the most famous Caliphs that ever ruled Egypt.

However, there are many other amazing Islamic monuments in Egypt that tourists, and even Egyptians themselves, usually miss because probably they don’t know of their existence. Some of these monuments are really unique ,picturesque, and have been built on a vast piece of land .

One of the best examples of these remarkable monuments is the Mosque of Al Hakim Be'amr Allah which is considered

The Mosque of Al Hakim is now located at the end of Al Muiz Street very close to Bab El Fetooh, one of Egypt's ancient gates. It is also near the famous Khan El Khalili market. Therefore, it is always a good idea to explore the monuments in the Muiz Street after visiting the most famous tourists market in the world, putting in consideration that Cairo one day only consisted of this narrow street and the areas around it. Therefore the street contains a huge variety of Islamic monuments.

 

Al Hakim and his advocacy for the new religion!

Construction work of the ancient Mosque of Al Hakim started in the year 990 AD with a decision from the Fatimid Caliph "Al Aziz be Allah Ibn Al Muiz le Din Allah" and the mosque was completed in 1012 during the reign of Al Hakim Be'amr Allah, the third Fatimid ruler in Egypt.

Many rumors and a lot of debates were aroused around Al Hakim, his ideas, and the period of his rule. Al Hakim came to power when he was only 11 years old and he formed a plan to assassinate his tutor while he was 15 and he succeeded. It was said that he burned a lot of places in Cairo when people objected to obey some of his weird laws like: replacing his name instead of the name of god, Allah, in the prayers, forbidding people from eating mallow, the Egyptian Molokhia which is one of the most popular Egyptian dishes until now because he hated it. He also prohibited shoemakers to manufacture shoes for women as he believed they should stay home, and it was also debated that he ordered his men once to throw all of Egypt's production of molasses in the river Nile, and many other stories and rumors.

The weirdest and most serious story that was told concerning Al Hakim was that he used to go to a cave in Al Moqatem mountain and stay there alone for long hours. One night, he claimed that he heard a voice telling him that he should unite both religions, Islam and Christianity, to become one new unified religion. The reason maybe why these ideas entered his head is that his father is the founder of the Fatimid Shiite doctrine and in the same time his mother was the sister of the Patriarch of the Copts in Egypt at the time.

The theory of Al Hakim depends on the notion that there is only one god, so why don’t we have only one religion, Why shouldn’t we have only one profit, and why shouldn’t him, Al Hakim, become this prophet conveying the message of this new religion.

When Al Hakim started planning how to spread the message of this new religion, he didn’t know the conspiracy that was taking place around him, with one of the royal family ladies participating in it with the help of the army commander, Seif El Din Ibn Rawash. They decided to assassinate him before he spreads the poison of this new religion among the people of Egypt, putting into account that the Fatimids were Shiites and very conservative towards their Islamic beliefs and thoughts.

As a matter of fact, one night while Al Hakim was riding his donkey and going to his Cave in the mountain, a group of strong black slaves attacked him and killed him, and his body was never found until today. This was the last event in the life of one of the strangest rulers of Egypt.

Although, many historical theories support all of the facts mentioned above, nobody was ever sure what was really inside the head of Al Hakim and was he really a cruel ruler or did his assassins spread these rumors to ruin his reputation and his history. They only absolute fact about Al Hakim is his mosque which is still present in Egypt until today.

The architectural description of the mosque

The mosque of Al Hakim is the second largest Fatimid Mosque in Egypt and its design is similar to that of the mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tolon. The mosque was mainly built out of brick other than the two unique minarets that were built out of stone.

The mosque consists of an open courtyard "Sahn" with four halls "Riwaq" surrounding it from the four directions and the largest and most beautiful among them is the Qibla Riwaq which identifies the direction to Mecca where Moslems should be facing while praying.

The mosque of Al Hakim is famous for three main architectural characteristics. The first is the memorial entrance with its huge size and fabulous decorations. This entrance is the first of its kind to be built in Egypt and there isn’t any other mosque entrances that can be compared to it except the one of Al Mahdeya Mosque in Tunisia.

The second beautiful architectural aspects of this mosque is its wide white marble floor that reflects the mosque itself from inside. A lot of flakes of birds are usually seen flying around the mosque and standing on its amazing floor as they drink water from its fountain.

The third and most and unparalleled feature of Al Hakim
Mosque is it's uniquely designed two minarets which are located at the North and South corners of its western entrance. They are the oldest surviving minarets in Egypt. Furthermore, there isn’t any minaret in Egypt that would look like those of Al Hakim Mosque because of their rare design that was imported to Egypt form North Africa, the origin of the Fatimids.

The minarets were built by dropping them inside two huge square stone structures that appear clearly from outside the Mosque. This was how the Fatimid used to build their minarets in Tunisia and North Africa.

The Northern minaret is 33.7 meters long topped by a cylindrical body and above it lies a "Mabkhra" style head, very famous design in the days of the Fatimids. While the other minaret is 24.7 meters with an octagonal body above it and the "Mabkhra" head at the end.

The bases of these two minarets are original. However, the tops of the minarets were changed by Baybars Al Jashnkeer in 1303 when an earthquake hit Egypt causing a lot of damage to the mosque. Baybars Also added the wonderful Mihrab of the mosque built out of colored marble.

The mosque would also appear similar to the Azhar Mosque in some factors: they both have this curve in the walls of the prayer halls except that these of Al Hakim Mosque is much higher. Both mosques also share having three small domes in the Qibla prayer hall.

The usages of the mosque through history

The Mosque of Al Hakim was not always used as a mosque or a prayer area as it was used for many other purposes through its history because of its wide space.

The Mosque of Al Hakim was used as a prison for the crusaders and a horse stable in the reign of Salah El Din and a storage area for food and weapon in the period of the French occupation of Egypt by Napoleon Bona Parte.

At the end of the French occupation, the French soldiers left the mosque in a very poor state. The Mosque of Al Hakim was not renovated until the period of Caliph Tawfiq when he decided to transform the mosque into an Islamic art museum, before the museum was established in Port Said Street.

The Ismailie Shiites have also played a major role in repairing and restoring the mosque by adding the remarkable marble floor and a lot of other architectural aspects especially ornamenting the walls of the mosque with plaster decorations.

It must be also noted that the Indian Bohra Shiites hold the credit for all the modern restoration that took place in the Mosque of Al Hakim to appear in the way it is today.

The Mosque of Al Hakim was even used as a school in the times of the former Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Today, the mosque receives numerous visitors from around the world to view the fascinating ancient Islamic architecture. The mosque is also still used for prayer until this day.

0 Mosque of Al Refaie

The mosque of Al Refaie' is considered one of the remarkable Islamic structures in Cairo. The mosque is located in the Qala'a square in front of the citadel just facing the great Mosque of Al Sultan Hassan. The Refaie Mosque was embellished by Khoshiar, the mother of Khedive Ismail to be the mausoleum of the royal family.
 

Nobody knows why exactly did Khoshiar choose that location this small "Zaweya" praying place, to build the mosque. Maybe because she wanted to build a mosque that is similar to that of Al Sultan Hassan in its size and greatness. She wanted to renew the Zaweya of Al Refaie so she bought all the surrounding areas around it and then she destroyed the Zaweya all in all and started to build a new huge mosque.

The mosque was built on the site of an older mosque called mosque of "Al Zakhira" which was built in the Ayubids era and it contained the dooms of many Islamic Imams and religious people.

Although the mosque of Al Refaie is named after Sheikh Ahmed Al Refaie who was the Sufi leader of Al Refaieya method, he was never buried there. He was actually never buried in Egypt. However, the Zaweya continued having the name of Al Refaie and afterwards an ancestor of Al Refaie, Sheikh Abu Shebak was buried there.

Egyptian best construction engineer at the time, Hussein Fahmy Pasha made a design for the new mosque to contain the tombs of the royal family. He also added two domes for the two sheikhs who were buried there, Ali Abu Shebak and Yehia Al Ansary.

However, in 1881 the building work stopped to add some changes to the design, but the whole process stopped with the death of Khoshiar Hanem in 1885 and she was buried in the mosque.

Twenty five years later, when Abbas Helmy the second became ruler of Egypt, he ordered Hatz Pasha, the director of the association of Egyptian Antiquities at the time, to continue building the mosque.

The mosque was first opened for public on Friday of the year 1912.

The Mosque of Al Refaie was built to look like the great mosque of Al Sultan Hassan in its size, height, and luxury. It contained huge entrance gates with tall columns made out of rock and marble with rich Arabic decorations. The builders of the mosque didn’t want it to appear like an elf beside the giant.

The mosque from inside has a rectangular shape with the area of 7500 meter with 1767 meters prepared for praying and the rest was built as a mausoleum.

The main gate of the mosque is located in its western side and above it lays a dome which is decorated with gold. Then there is a door that leads to the tombs of Abu Shebak and Ali Al Ansary.

Most of the walls of the Mosque are decorated with colored marbles that were imported from seven countries from all around the world. The walls, doors, and windows of the mosque is highly decorated with Abanos wood and a lot of golden ornaments.

The Mihrab of the Mosque is located inside its Eastern walls and it is clothed with colored marble and has four marble columns. There are five colored lines drawn inside the Mihrab and some of them contain golden ornaments.

Beside the Mihrab, there is the fascinating Minbar which was decorated with ivory, ebony, and mother of pearl. It has a quite unique style as it was made in the Mamluk way. The small door of the Minbar is rich with wooden decorations.

One of the most remarkable items of the mosque is its white pure alabaster Dekka, or place of the prayer caller. It is unique in its design and decorations that you don’t find anything like it in the whole country of Egypt. It is built on eight white marble columns holding it and it contains some Quran inscriptions which were written with pure gold.

In the northern side of the mosque, there are six gates. Four of them lead to the burial rooms of the kings, queens, and royal family.

The first of these rooms contains the tombs of four of the Khedive Tawfik sons and daughters: Wahida who died in 1858, Zeinab who died in 1875, Ali Gamal El din who died in 1893, and Ibrahim Helmy who died in 1926. There is a beautiful small dome above this room which is decorated with Quranic inscriptions.

To the west, there is another room where Khedive Ismail and his mother, Khoshiar Hanem, the builder of this mosque were buried.

Afterwards, there is the room where the daughters of Khedive where the wives of Ismail were buried and they are: Shohrat Vasa who died in 1895, Ganayar who died in 1912, and Gushm Afet who died in 1907.

There is a door from this room that leads to the room where Sultan Hussein Kamal, the son of Ismail who ruled Egypt in 1914 and died in 1917 to be followed by his brother kind Farouk.

The Shah of Iran, Mohamed Reda Bahlawy, the former husband of queen Fawzeya was buried in the Mosque of Al Refaie and this incident has a tragic story behind it. When the Islamic revolution rose in Iran, he was exiled. He couldn’t find a place to host him until the former Egyptian president Anwar El Sadat welcomed him in Egypt and when he died, Al Saddat ordered that he should be buried in the Mosque of Al Refaie. His tomb room is one of the most amazing in the mosque as it is decorated with beautiful marble floor and walls. Strangely enough, the father of the Shah was buried for some time in the same room.

Beside the room of the Iranian Shah, there is the burial room of king Foaud (1868- 1936). In the eastern wall of this room, there is a door that leads to the tomb of king Farouk who died in Rome in 1965.

King Farouk wanted to be buried in the Mosque of Al Refaie beside his family and relatives. However, the former Egyptian president at the time, Gamal Abdel Nasser, didn’t like the idea. He agreed that King Farouk can be buried in Cairo but not in the Mosque of Al Refaie and this is what actually happened. Until in 1970, when Nasser passed away, the body of King Farouk was transferred to the Mosque of Al Refei.

0 The Citadel of Saladin (EL-Qala)

The construction of the Citadel of Saladin was started by King Saladin in 1170 A.D, and completed by his brother, King El-Addel. 

It is located on a high hill that overlooks the old city of Cairo.

Saladin built this fortress to protect the old city of Cairo, and it mainly consists of enclosure walls and watchtowers, as well as many, many gates! As every 120m there are gates into the Citadel that were built at various times in history. The architectural plan of the fortress resembles many of the ones that were built in Syria and Palestine at the time of the Crusades. Later on, the Citadel became a major training centre for the Egyptian army.
The Citadel was neglected until the Mamluke Period, in the 14^th Century, when they used it as a residence for the Sultan. Also, in that Century, the Sultan El-Naser Mohamed added many buildings, including a Mosque, inside the castle.
During the Ottoman times, the Turks installed further reinforcements, and used it as a residence for the Turkish Viceroy, as well as increasing the number of garrisons in the Citadel.
Under Mohamed Ali, there were other monuments added to the Citadel, among them the great alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali.

• Places you should visit in the Citadel:
• The Mosque of Mohamed Ali
• The Mosque of EL-Nasser Mohamed (The Mosque with the green dome!)
• The Military Museum
• El-Gouhara Palace 
• National Police Museum

0 Sultan Hassan Madrassa and Mosque

This is one of the extraordinarily wonderful Islamic Monuments In the Islamic World. If Ancient Egypt is proud of the Pyramids of Giza, Islamic Egypt has to be proud of the Sultan Hassan Madrassa. The founder of this gigantic monument is the Sultan Hassan, son of the great Mamluke Sultan Al-Nasser Mohamed Ibn Qalawoun. Sultan Hassan ruled twice, the first time in 1347, when he was 13 years old, only to be dethroned by the other Mamluke princes and generals. The second time was in 1356A.D, and before he had time to put an end to the power of the princes and high officials, they revolted against him, and the chief of the army with other generals attacked him. It said that he escaped from the Citadel and hid in Cairo; but he was found and imprisoned, never to be seen again! Most probably he was murdered 16 years after his ascension to the throne. Either way, he left 10 sons and 6 daughters.

The Sultan Hassan gave order for the construction of this Madrassa to be under the supervision of Prince Mohamed Ibn Baylik Al-Muhssani in 1361A.D, and the work continued for 4 years. The Mosque was almost complete when Sultan Hassan disappeared or was killed. It was finished by one of his functionaries whose name was Bashir Al-Gamdar. The site of the Madrassa was previously known as Souk Al-Khayl or the Horses Market. The Madrassa was built of stones, but some internal parts and details were built of bricks, faced with stones.

The Madrassa-Mosque was built according to the cruciform, an open courtyard surrounded by 4 iwans. It contains 4 Madrassas or religious schools and is 7,906 square metres big. It is very distinguishable due to its many sides. It has 4 fa�ades, the most important being the 2 main facades.

The most remarkable fa�ade is the northeast one. It is 145m long and 38m tall! Its shear wall has 4 pairs of windows set vertically, and at the top of the wall is a massive cornice of 5 layers of stalactites, projecting about 1.5m.
The Sahn, or the court, of the Mosque is almost square, about 34m long and 32m wide, with a large ablution fountain in the centre, which is covered with a wooden dome, carried on 8 marble columns around its capital decorated with a band of inscriptions of The Qur'an (the verse of Al-Kursi). At each corner of the sahn is a door that leads to one of the 4 Madrassas (schools); the biggest one being the Hanafiyya Madrassa, which occupies an area of 898 square metres.
The quibla iwan is the biggest of the 4 iwans of the Mosque. In its wall, 2 windows in recesses, and an oculus above the mihrab, the pointed-arched mihrab is fine, and covered with marble, and there are small double columns supporting the frame with complex joggled voussoirs.
On the rectangular outer frame is a band of Naskhi inscription. Flanking the Mihrab are windows with bronze grills. The marble Minbar is covered with coloured panels of marble decorated in its upper part by floral motifs.
The Dekkat Al-Mouballegh or the bench of the repeater is situated at the front of the quibla iwan, and it is made of marble, raised on 8 pillars and 3 piers. There are 2 doors opened in the Quibla wall leading to a mausoleum dome behind the mihrab, where the Sultan is supposed to be buried. The Mausoleum dome is 21 square metres and its decoration is similar to that of the quibla iwan.

0 Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun

The founder :
Ahmed Ibn Tulun ( 263-265 A.H ), born about 835 A.D, he is one of the Turkish commanders in Samarra in Iraqu. He receives his military and theological training in Samarra and Tarsus .His intelligence and courage attracted the attention of the Khalif and in 868 A.D he made proxy for his step-father Bakabak's governorship of Egypt.
He established himself as an independent ruler for the Province. An abortive attempt to remove him encouraged Ahmed to attach Syria.
Ahmed Ibn Tulun founded a new Capital called Alqatai around the hill of Gabal Yashkur, to the NE of Al Fustat, razing the Christian and the Jewish cemetery that was located in that area.
The Mosque
The site chosen for his mosque was an outcrop of rock called Gabal Yashkur. Is It situated in sharia Al Saliba.
1-It is the oldest intact functioning Islamic monument in Cairo. It is considered the 3rd mosque which was constructed for the whole community or the congregation joined together for the Friday noon prayer.
2- It is also rare preserved example of the art and the architecture of the classical period of Islam.
It is one of the biggest mosques in Egypt. The mosque together with the ziyada occupies an area of 6.5 acres.
The plan of the Mosque:
It is nearly square in shape, measures 162 m. in length and 161 m. in width. The area which is dedicated for the prayer is rectangular in shape measures about 137 m. x 118 m.
It was designed as open court or central square Sahn (about 92 m) Surrounded by four riwaqs. The riwaq of the quibla contains 5 arcades . while each of the other riwaqs consists of 2 arcades.
The mosque surrounded by Ziyadas ( extension) on 3 sides, the Ziyada is an enclosed space or precinct to separate the mosque from the markets and in order to protect the mosque and the prayers from the noise of the street.
Outside the mosque on the quibla wall there was a palace or Dar El Imarah (house of the government, or the ruler residence ), now destroyed, with its own entrance near to the Mihrab from which Ahmed Ibn Tulun used to enter to the mosque before leading the prayer.
The Entrance of the Mosque:
This mosque has19 doors on 3 sides, each door corresponding To another door in the ziyadas, and there are another 3 doors cut in the wall of the quibla. The lintels are composed of palm-trunks, boxed with wood and above a releasing arch, some of these doors still retain their original carving.
The Foundation Slate:
On the right hand central Pier of the 3rd arcade from the sahn is the Foundation Slate ; it includes the Foundation Inscription, it is a rectangular slab of marble ( 1,6 m X 97 cm) written in Kufic inscription and it contains The verse of El Kursi ( Ayat Al Kursi) from the Koran and the date of 265 A.H
The Crenulations:
Both the walls of the mosque and the Ziyada are crowned with crenulations which are similar to the paper cut-outs of human figures with linked arms.
The Sahn ( the courtyard ):
It is square in shape, each of its sides measures about 92 m.
The original courtyard was not paved and filled with pebbles as it is today, because this space was intended for prayer.
The Fawarah in the middle of the Sahn is the 3rd one, the first one was the original built by Ahmed Ibn Tulun. It was gilded and stood on 10 columns of marble. The 2nd one was Al Aziz but was destroyed .The actual one is the third built by The sultan Lagin Al Mansoury among some other works he did for the mosque. ( 14 X 12 m ) and it is 20 m in height. This Fawarah was built by the architect Ibn Al Roumyyah. It has a Mameluk design; it is stood on 4 pointed arches , the zone of transition has stepped corners with a window in the uppermost step and 3 windows of 3 lights on each side. The dome is plain without a drum and raised on squinch. Above, a continuos stalactite frieze runs around the base of the dome and above that a band of Naskhi inscription from the Koran dealing with the ablution.
The Arcades:
The arcades around the courtyard or the Sahn which are deeper on the quibla Riwaq or the sanctuary side are formed by pointed Arches on brick Piers .Rosettes and windows form a continuous and simple decoration. These arcades are supported by piers.
Unlike columns.These Piers are rectangular and decorated with four masonry-engaged columns. Their capitals have the same bell shape as the bases, and both plastered and carved. Originally would seem that all of the arcades had soffits of curved stucco similar to those which have been restored in the Southern arcade.
The arches:
The Arches of the arcades are pointed, They are outlined with an edge of carved stucco, and spring from oblong supports rounded at the corners by pilasters or engaged columns.
The Quibla Riwaq ( The Sanctuary ):
It includes 5 aisles deeper than the others and they are parallel to the Prayer niche ( the Mihrab), while each of the other riwaq includes just 2 aisles . This Riwaq actually has 6 prayer niches or mihrabs
The main Mihrab is in the middle of the quibla wall, it is the tallest and the only concave one The others are flat .It consists of a double pointed arched recess flanked by a pair
Byzantine style marble columns with basket work capitals. Its stucco moluding and the 2 stucco bosses on each side of the arch are original. The interior is decorated in Mameluk style made by the sultan Lajin, the upper decoration of painted wood, and strips of polychrome marble , above which is a band of Naskhi inscription in black mosaic on a gold background containing the shahada. The Dikka of the Mouballegh ( the bench of the Mouballegh) is situated in Riwaq. Al Quibla near the courtyard. It is a wide bench of marble columns used for communicating the words of the Imam during the prayer.
The Ceiling:
The ceiling is composed of Palm logs boxed in wooden panels. Below the ceiling there are a long band of inscription on sycamore wood which runs around the whole mosque contains verses from the Koran. This frieze is 2 Km. In length, and it is calculate one fifteenth of the whole holly book .There is a legend that the boards used for this inscription are left over from the Noah's Ark.
The Windows:
The upper part of the mosque wall is pierced with pointed arch windows flanked with colonnades .The windows alternate on the outside wall within blind niches with a shell conch .
There are 128 windows and their arrangements on the walls are independent of the arches so that not every arch has a centred window. The functions of these arched windows of the arched windows are providing light and reduce the weight carried by the arches.
Creswell attributes only 4 of the windows stucco grills to the Tulunide Period, those of the plain geometrical design, while the rest displaying a large variety of more complicated geometrical patterns date back to the Fatimide and the Mameluk Periods.
The Minaret:
It stands on the North side of the Ziyada, where a door leads to it is an unusual stone structure with an outer staircase, and a Mameluk top of the type named Mabkhara. This minaret caused controversy among the Cairo's Architectural historians. We don't have enough sources to clear this point or determine its date.

0 Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As

Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As is the first mosque built in Egypt and Africa and It was constructed by Amr Ibn Al-As in 642 AD.
Amr was the Arab general who conquest Egypt to fight against the Roman and He was hailed by the Copts as a liberator. Then he was appointed governor by the Caliph. Amr founded a new capital instead of Alexandria, and that was Al Fustat.

In he center of Al Futat was the mosque which later on was named " The Mosque of Amr" It was surrounded by the plans and houses of Al Fustat. Originally the mosque was overlooking the Nile from the Northwest side .
The mosque was called " the Crown of the Mosques" and the Antique Mosque. In fact the actual features of the mosque is very different of his first ancient aspect. Many reconstructions, and restorations took place since the time of its foundation till now to be resulted in its actual. The mosque was built in a shape of rectangular low shed of wood and palm leaves supported on columns of palm stems, stones and mud bricks while the floor was covered with gravel. That first simple mosque measures about 29 m. in length and 17 m. in width.
Since the time of the foundation of the mosque many additions and extensions took place, but the most important one was made by the governor Abudllah Ibn Taher during the reign of Caliph Al Mamoun in the 9th century . He extended the mosque adding a new area at the S.W side and that extension was the last one. Thus at that time the mosque measures 120 m. in length and 112 m. in width, and that represents the actual area of the mosque. At the end of the Fatimid period, the mosque was ruined as a result of Al Fustat Fire which took place in 1175 AD. When Al Fustat was burnt by Shawer, the Vizier of the Fatimid Caliph Al Adid, to prevent the crusaders from invading Al Fustat , and that fire continued 54 days.Therefore Saladin rebuilt it and renovated it in 1179 AD. Just before the arrival of the French Expedition to Egypt Mourad Bey one of the Mameluke leaders in the end of the 18th century demolished the mosque and rebuilt it in 1796 AD. Mourad Bey changed the Iwan and the courtyard replacing the seven rows of coumns in the quibla liwan with 6 ones and changing the bays to be perpendicular to the quibla wall instead of being parallel to it. Most probably he built the remaining minarets, one above the right entrance in the façade and the other is situated above the right end of the quibla wall. He renovated the ceiling, and covered the floor with mats and provided the mosque with candelabras. Also he made 4 foundation tablets still existing, bearing poetic verses praising and dating his achievements. One of this tablets is fixed to the quibla wall to the left of the Mihrab.
In 1906 during the reign of khedive Abbas Helmy II, the mosque was restored entirely. These works were achieved by the Arab Antiquities Preservation committee.
At the Southern corner of the quibla Riwaq there is a Mausoleum below a dome, Perhaps it belongs to Abdulla the son of Amr, some Historians cant confirm that, they believe that no honorable figure was buried in that Mausoleum.
One of the most remarkable facts about that mosque, that it was not only a place for prayer but also a very important kind of university 600 years before the foundation of Al Azhar mosque in Cairo. It was the place where lesson circles and religious lectures were held. One of the most important Religious professors and Imams who taught in this mosque, was the Mohamed Ibn Idris Al Shafi'.
Finally we should mention that in the Western addition (Ziada) there was used as a court of low and many trials of law were held

0 Mosque of Mohamed Ali

                                                              
Mohamed Ali Mosque is amongst the most interesting Mosques in Egypt. It stands proudly on the highest point inside the courtyard of the Citadel of Saladin, and is also called the Alabaster Mosque. The architect was Yousf Boushnaq, a Turkish man who had come over from Istanbul to build this great Mosque for Mohamed Ali, the ruler of Egypt from1805 until 1849.
He based his plans on the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, and the construction began in 1830 A.D. The work continued ceaselessly until the death of Mohamed Ali in 1849, and had to be finished during the reign of his successors. Mohamed Ali was buried in the tomb situated on the south-eastern side of Beit Al Salah, on the right side of the entrance that leads to the main section.

In 1899 the Mosque showed signs of cracking and repairs were undertaken, but some of these repairs were not adequate. Therefore, in 1931, during the reign of King Fuad I, a committee was set up, comprising of several great architects, which eventually presented a report recommending the demolition of the big main dome, the semi domes and the small domes, and then reconstructing them according to the original design. Between 1931 and 1939, the project, including demolition, building and rebuilding, painting and gilding, was undertaken; the total cost being 100,000 LE.

The main material used for the construction was limestone, but the lower parts of the Mosque, and the forecourt, are faced to a height of 11.5m with alabaster. 

The Mosque is rectangular in shape and consists of two sections: 

• The Eastern Section, which is the main section, called “Beit al Salah" or “House of Prayer”.
• The Western Section, called the “Sahn” "or “Courtyard".

The Eastern Section (The “Beit al Salah" or “House of Prayer”)

The eastern section is the part that was dedicated to prayer. It is square in shape, each side measure 41m, and has a roof with a central dome (52m in height) resting on four large arches supported by massive piers. Surrounding the big central dome there are four half domes, while there are four more small domes covering the corners.

The marble mihrab is covered by a half-dome at the lower level. The domes are pointed and covered with medallions and other motifs. The interior dome is impressive because of its size and shape, similar to the Mosques of Istanbul. There are 6 medallions around the dome, which include the names of Allah (God) and Mohamed (the Prophet), as well as the names of the four rightly guided Caliphs, namely Abou Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali.

Click on Thumbnail to enlarge

The mosque has 2 Minbars or pulpits; the original one is the larger, it is made of wood decorated with gilded ornaments, while the smaller one is of marble, it was gifted to the mosque by king Farouk in 1939 A.D.

Above the entrance is a grand gallery supported on marble pillars with bronze balustrade. To the right of the entrance is the tomb of Mohamed Ali. It is  made  white marble covered with floral motifs, and pointed and gilded inscriptions.  originally Mohamed Ali was not buried in his mosque but later during  the time king Abbas I (1849-1854), His body was transferred from Housh El Basha to the inside of the mosque where it rests inside  The bronze grill.

The Western Section (The Courtyard or the Sahn)

It is a large open courtyard of about 54 m in length and 53 m in width. It is surrounded by a single arched riwaqs or naves raised on pillars and roofed with small domes.
In the middle of the courtyard  there  is the ablution fountain, it is octagonal in shape and covered by a large leaded domed canopy resting on 8 pillars with natural ornaments. Inside the dome is another marble small dome and it is octagonal in shape, decorated with floral motifs. In the walls of the riwaqs of the courtyard there are 46 widows. While the Eastern wall which overlooks the Eastern Section,  it has 8 windows above which there is a frieze of inscription of the Koran (Surat Al Fath),

Above the entrance to the Easter section there is  frieze that bears  the name of the Turkish sultan Abd Al Maguid.

Opposite to the doorway of the prayer House, at the far end of the centre of the NW Riwaq is a pavilion, above which is an elaborate French Clock, presented to Mohamed Ali in 1845 by the King Luis Philip in exchange of the obelisk which is now standing in the Concorde square in Paris. This clock has never been working properly!
At the west and the North Corners are 2 slender octagonal minarets that rise to 82 M in height. And has with 2 balconies.

0 KHANQXH OF AL-NASIR FARA6 IBN BARQUQ ( 801 - 813 A.H./1399-1411 A.D.)

       Sultan King al-Nasir Farag ibn Barqoq ibn Anas (Anas) al-6arcassy ordered the construction of this Khanqah in execution of his father's will to be buried next to the Saints (Awliya) in Hosh al-Sultan.

He built this Khanqah after the death of his father in the Mamluks desert cemetery, north of Cairo and adjacent to the Khanqah of Yunus al-Dawadar, also in an attempt to develop the area as a new extension outside Cairo walls in the desert land .

The Khanqah's location in the past was an equestrian areas and remained as such until it was deserted by Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad and all racing activities were suspended, however, after the year 780 A.H/1378 A.D.

Maqrizi caught up with several of its marble columns .

The Khanqah was built during a pointed of approx. 13 years as the project was suspended several times due to the severe economic conditions through which Egypt passed, from spread of epidemics and diseases to shortage of water due to the repeated decline in the Nile water level, in addition several military campaigns to al-Sham (Syria) because of struggles between the Sultan and his deputy there, The Khanqah is composed of a central open courtyard with an octagonal fountain in the middle (Photo 1/149) surrounded by four iwans (Plate 1/149) the largest of which is the qibta iwans .

It is composed of a rectangular area divided into three arcades containing three riwaqs parallel to the qibla wall, where each arcade consists of aix pylons carrying pointed arches.

            The riwaqs are covered by shallow vaults built on pendentives .

In the middle of the iwan's forefront is a plain stone mihrab in the shape of a semi-circular niche topped by a pointed hood supported on two circular marble columns preceded by an arched recess, supported in turn on two circular marble columns, and on top of the mihrab is a round grill defined by a protruding stone framer; its opposite area is covered by a dome mounted on three rows of stalactites ( Photo 2/149 ).

On the right is a stone minbar that dates back to the period of Sultan Qaytbay in its formation that resembles the Mamluk wooden minbars with its two balustrsades decorated with geometrical and floral onrnamentations (Photo 3/149).

On both sides of the mihrab are six recesses, three on each side, with the window in the center of each transformed into a plain stone mihrab of a semi-circular niche topped by a pointed arched hood preceded by a recess and supported on two octagonal marble columns .

Each of the four other recesses has a window in the forefront, opening onto the outside, and on top of the six recesses are elongated stucco lattice grills .

In each of the south-west and north-east sides of the iwan is a pointed arched recess that has a wooden screen on its facades, the first leading to the women tombs (dome) whilst the second to the men's tombs (dome).       

0 MOSQUE AND MADRASA OF AL-MU'AYYAD SHAIKH ( 818 – 823 A.H. / 1415 -1420 A.D.)

          This mosque was founded by Sultan King al-mu'ayyad  Abu al-Nasr Shaikh al-MaHmudi al-Garcassy in 818 A.H /1415 A.D…..

And was completed five years later in 823 A.H /1420 A.D….References point out that when the Sultan died many of buildings elements were not completed of which was the dome of the mausoleum and the residence of the sufis, which was due to the poor economic conditions in Egypt during that period and the unnecessarily large and huge structure of the building , to the extent that Maqrizi compared it to the throne of Queen Balqis of sheeba and palace of Kisra in old Persia. The building is located inside the walls of Cairo adjacent to Bab Zuwayla. al-Mu'ayyad was one of those Sultan who were known as "builders" as he erected several other buildings of which was this mosque and the Ham- mam (bath) annexed to it; he also established the bimaristan and the Kharouby Khanqah, a sabil in the citadel and a minaret in al-Azhar mosque, in addition to renovating the mosque of al-Miqyas and other building in Egypt and al-Sham (Syria).

The mosque was founded to serve as a mosque, a madrasa and a Khanqah. Its plan consists of a central large open courtyard with an area of 1750 sq.m i.e. the raito between the areas of the courtyard and that of the madrasa is 1:2.85.

Surrounding the courtyard are four iwans (Plate 1/190). The original plan of the mosque included several elements: four entrance –three of which are main whilst the fourth is the secret door. The mosque also contains four iwans for studies and prayers, two mausoleums on both sides of the main iwan, a sitting loggia for the Sultan next to Bab Zuwayla and a fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

               Annexed to the mosque are 200 residences for sufi students grouped around a durqa'a the northwest of the mosque, and a hammam (bath) to the west.

The ablutary lies in a central location between the Hammam and the mosque, and it used to contain 19 basins – according to the drawings made up Pascal coast in 1818/1825 A.D. distributed along three sides around a large basin of water. Also, the necessary services for such a compound (a well, a water wheel, and a kitchen and its utilities  ) are annexed to it. The mosque has three minarets of which the one at the western.            

0 MADRASA OF AL-ASHRAF BARSBAY ( 829 A.H./1425 A.D. )

       Sultan King al-Ashraf Barsbay al-Duqmaqi al-Zahir who ordered the building of this madrasa was a mamluk of al-Zahir Barquq who released him and kept him in his service. He held several positions such as the  deputy of the Tripoli and prince of Dawadar Kabir until he came to Ipower ruling the Mamluks Sultanic throne on 8^th Rabi al-Akhir 825 A.H., 1^st April 1422 A.D.

The madrasa is located in al-Mu'izz street in a section known as Ashrafiya near al-Sagha (Goldsmith); the site was previously occupied by old shops and tenant houses, yards and markets that were demolished for building the madrasa.

                 The madrasa consists of a central open courtyard surrounded by four iwans the largest of which is the qibla iwan (Plate 1/175, Photo 1/175)

Which is a rectangular area overlooking the courtyard through a pointed arch behind which, from the inside, are two wooden consoles with stalactites and a soffit in between.

In the center of the iwan's forefront stands the mihrab whose formation is similar to Mamluk mihrabs with its hood arched with a pointed arch with a pointed arch with compound joggled voussoirs, preceded by an arched recess mounted on two marble octagonal columns (photo 2/175);

To the left is a minbar decorated with star plates and parts of lathed wood (photo 3/175).

On both sides of the mihrab are four recesses, two on each side with a window in the forefront crowned by a pointed arch with compound joggled voussoirs topped by an elongated grill of stucco lattice and in between is the round grill of the mihrab. The iwan is covered by a wooden ceiting of girders supported on a frieze with comer and central niches, extending to the bottom In a trefoil form .

The iwan opposite the qibla iwan consists of a rectangular area overlooking the courtyard through a pointed arch, and has a smalt pointed – arched recess in its forefront, while on both sides of the recess opens a door leading to a vaulted room and a wall cupboard; each of the two sides of the iwan contains a door topped by two windows each leading to a smalt vaulted room.

The iwan has a flat wooden ceiling with a joggled edged nave supported on a caliigraphic frieze with corner stalactites extending to the bottom in a trefoil form .

Each of the two side iwans are in the shape of a rectangular area overlooking the courtyard through a stilted pointed arch. In the forefront of each iwan is a trefoil arched recess ending grill.

Both iwans are roofed with a wooden ceiling of girders enclosing two triangles and two squares, supported on a frieze.          

           

0 MOSQUE OF AL-ZAHIR BAYBARS (667 A.H./1269 A.D.)

LIST NO,(1)

                    This mosque was founded by sultan AL – Zahir Rukn al – Din Abu al – Fatu Baybars al – salihi al – Nagmi al – Bunduqdarri in 667 A.H./1269 A.D.

It may have been an experession of the Sultan's wish to establish a memorial building reflecting his great victories and military achievements against the Mongols and crusaders; 

In addition to the need  for a greater mosque to meet the growing demand  by a growing population .

Al – Maqrizi said that sultan baybars came down personally to the square on Thursday 8 Rabi'll 665 A.H.  ,    and the design concept was introduced during this attendance" demanding that the gate recalls that of his madrasa in Bain al – Qasrayn , and a dome to be built over the mihrab as large as the dome of Imam al – Shafi'i .

The general plan adhered to the design of riwaqs surrounding the great sahn (Plate 1/1) and is made up of a square with the dimensions of 111 x 108m. , with a surface area 12,000m2 , including four covered areas , the largest of which is the qibla covered area surrounding a large open sahn which is a rectangle with dimensions of 60 x70m and the ratio of its surface area to the area of the mosque is 1: 3 , with an ablutary but the lavatory was most probably outside the mosque .

The qibla covered area is composed of a rectangular area divided by six arcades , each is made up of six riwaqs parallel to the mihrab wall , and are divided by an intersecting aisle perpendicular to the mihrab and is made up of two arcades each is formed with six pointed arches . The mihrab is at the center of the front ri-waq of the qibia covered area, and is in the form of a semi-circular niche topped by a pointed, archec  hood.  The mihrab is directed a little to the right of the qibla as its oblique angle is 141 degrees in-stead of 135 which is common in cairo .

The square area preceding the mihrab is covered by a wooden dome; historical references indicate that it resembled the dome of Imam al-Shafi'i.

0 COMPLEX OF SULTANᶺQALA'UN:AMA-DRASA, A MAUSOLEUM AND A MARI-STAN (683-684 A.H./1284-1285 A.D).

              Sultan al-Mansur Saif al-Din Qala'un al-Alfi al-Salih ordered the building of this complex in 683 A.H.'/1284 A.D., using part of the land of the Fatimid western palace on the main qasaba of al-Mu'izz .

The complex was named after the maristan of Nur al-Din when he was an amir (prince ) and vowed that he would build his won in Egypt, if he ever became a ruler .

The complex represents a new trend in design, as the building contains a madrasa, a mausoleum and a maristan grouped along an ambulatory five meters wide.

On its side, the madrasa and the mausoleum are located, and at the end lies the muristan. The entrance of the complex is located on the south eastern façade between each of the two the two blocks of the madrasa and the mausoleum. It lies in a deep rectangular niche crowned by a horse-shoe arch. The entrance door is located in. a recess topped by a pointed arch supported on two marble columns, and above the entrance door is a lintel with a foundation  script (photo 1/43).

The ma-drasa is connected to the ambulatory through two entrances, one is in the north eastern iwan leading directly to the courtyard space, which is presently used, and the other is a bent entrance at the end of the ambulatory.

The plan of the madrasa consists of a central courtyard with an octagonal fountain in the center and four iwans (Plate 1/43). Its surface area is about 25,00  x 55,00meters, the courtyard is 17,00 x 20,50 meter, and the ratio between the courtyard area to the total area is 1:3.95.

The main iwan is influenced ѣ by European architecture, as the iwan is divided into three riwaqs perpendicular to the qibia wall as in the basilica, the larger of which being the nave with its ceilings higher than that of the side aisles.

The ceilings are all in wood with girders that lost their decorations. The iwan overlooks the courtyard through a triple arched façade in two piers supported by marble columns, the middle one, which is the largest, is topped by a round stucco grill, its intrados and edges are covered with fine stucco decorations and the arches are set in a shallow pointed arched panel, and on each side is an opening with a straight lintel topped by two tiersof arched windows, (photo 2/43). In the central front of the iwan is a circular mihrab with a circular arched hood, flanked by two round marble columns; the hood and the spandrels are decorated with gold mosaic, and the mihrab is ornamented by marble strips and rows of small marble mihrabs  (photo 3/43). On the southwest side of courtyard is a small riwaq consisting of an arcade of three arches supported on two marble columns, attributed to the renovations of 'Abd al Rahman Katkhuda .

The north eastern side of the courtyard includes at the center: a pointed-arched small iwan the present entrance and six doors of vaulted cells on its sides.  

0 KHANQAH OF BAYBARS

AL-GASHANKIR

(706-709 A.H./1306-1310 A.DD)

    Sultan Rukn al-Din baybars al-Gashankir ordered the foundation of the Khanqah in 706 A.H./1306 A.D, on part of the Fatimids great ministry house which was founded by al-'Afdal Shahinshah ibn Badr al-Gamali, where the Khanqah is located on Gamaliya street to the right of those heading to Bab al-Nasr.

         The plan relied on the prototype design of ma-drasas which is composed of two opposite iwans; one was for the poor Shafeyite sufis and the other was for the Hanafite.

It also contained two opposite gathering halls perpendicular to the iwans, each containing a group of solitaries for the Arabs and Persian sufis. The building also contains a mausoleum for baybars which occupies the larger part of the façade overlooking the street, preceded by a riwaq allocated for students of the (Hadith).

  The total area of the Khanqah is 1650 m2 containing a courtyard, without fountains, with an area of 315 m2 making the ratio between its area and that of the Khanqah is 1:5, which is less than the ratio followed in other former buildings (Plate 1/32)

The qibla iwan, which is in the southeast, is considered the larger of the two Khanqah iwans.

It consists of a rectangular area covered by a pointed vault, (Photo 1/32), and on both sides are two recesses overlooking it through a pointed arch, also in both the southeast and northeast sides are recesses with an open ceiling used as a wind catcher .

The mihrab is located in the center of the front wall of the iwan.

It is on the form of a semi-circular niche topped by a pointed arched hood preceded by a pointed arched shallow recess. The mihrab is free from decorations, whereas the arches of the hood and the recesses are enclosed by projected decorative profile .

On the right side of the mihrab ther is a recent wooden minbar (photo 2/32) .