al-aqmar mosque
The al-Aqmar Mosque ( Arabic جامع الأقمر, DMG Ǧāmiʿ al-Aqmar 'Mosque of the Moonlight') or Gray Mosque is one of the few remaining Cairo mosques from the Fatimid era ; it was established under the vizier al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi during the caliphate of Imam al-Amir , son of Mustansir , in the years 1121-1125. The mosque is located in historic Cairo , to the north of Muizz Street , and there are several other monuments nearby, including the Qalawun complex and the Selihdar mosque and madrasa . Al-Aqmar translates as "moonlight"; the building is sometimes called the Gray Mosque .
The mosque has a square inner courtyard ( cream ). It is significant in terms of architectural history, as it was the first mosque in Cairo whose facade is not on an axis with the qibla ; while this has to be oriented towards Mecca , the facade follows the course of the street. It is richly decorated with inscriptions and sculptures - it is also the first mosque in Cairo to be decorated with a stone facade. These iconographic decorations are unusual for Islamic buildings and have a clear Shiite reference. The name of the first Shiite imam Ali is represented here several times.
In 1393 (1397?) The mihrab , the minbar and the area for the ablutions were repaired by Amir Yalbugha al-Salimi, the Dawadar ("Carrier of the Sultan's Inkwell ") by Sultan Barquq . The original minaret is no longer preserved today.
literature
- Richard B. Parker, Robin Sabin, Caroline Williams: Islamic Monuments in Cairo, A Practical Guide , The American University in Cairo Press 1985; ISBN 977-424-036-7
- Doris Behrens-Abouseif: Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction , ISBN 978-9774242038
Web links
- El-Aqmar Mosque (Gray Mosque) by Ismail Abaza Information on Tour Egypt (English)
- La Mosquée Al-Aqmar 519 AH (1125 EC) (French)
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 30 ° 3 ′ 5.8 ″ N , 31 ° 15 ′ 44 ″ E