Mosque of an-Nasir Muhammad
The mosque of an-Nasir Muhammad on the citadel in Cairo , one of the most important buildings of Al-Malik an-Nasir Muhammad Ibn Qalawun (1284-1341), was the Friday mosque of the sultans .
The mosque replaced an older one and was part of a palace complex on the Citadel of Cairo. The previous building was completed in 1312. This structure was built within two years. In 1318 this mosque was replaced by a new one, which is attested by an inscription. In 1335 the building was greatly expanded.
The mosque occupies an area of 57.6 × 60 m. It is free standing. The facade is largely smooth with only a few protrusions and a series of windows in the upper part. It is crowned by stepped battlements. It consists of a large courtyard in the middle and four rows of arcades on the back and two rows of arcades on the other sides, making the whole building practically a large hall with the open courtyard in the middle. The columns used for the arcades are spoils of buildings from pre-Islamic times. The different lengths of the columns are compensated for by bases of different heights. The mosque has four entrances, all of which are designed differently.
The mosque has a dome in the back, which collapsed in 1468 but was rebuilt. It is supported on three sides by arches, which in turn are supported by ten granite columns. The building has two minarets , but they are not arranged symmetrically. One of them is in the north and flanks the main entrance, the other is on the east corner of the building.
literature
- Doris Behrens-Abouseif: Cairo of the Mamluks , London 2007, pp. 173-178, ISBN 978-1-84511-549-4
Web links
Coordinates: 30 ° 1 ′ 44.5 ″ N , 31 ° 15 ′ 38.6 ″ E