Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part of the Tunisia mosque journey begins with the Great Mosque of Kairouan, founded in 670 and rebuilt in 836, and follows a route through major early Islamic sites. It keeps the source's mosque names, dates, dynastic references, architecture, images, and travel observations in one English long-form article.

Great Mosque of Kairouan: founded in 670, rebuilt in 836.

Mosque of the Three Doors (Jami al-Thalathat Abwab) in Kairouan: 866.

Mosque of the Barber (Zaouia of Sidi Sahab) in Kairouan: 1629.

Zaytuna Mosque in Kairouan: date unknown.

Great Mosque of Zaytuna in Tunis: founded in 698, rebuilt in 864.

Kasbah Mosque in Tunis: 1230.

New Mosque (Jami al-Jadid) in Tunis: 1726.

Ksar Mosque in Tunis: founded in 1106, rebuilt in 1647.

Hammouda Pasha Mosque in Tunis: 1655.

Sidi Mahrez Mosque in Tunis: 1692.

El Ichbili Mosque in Tunis: founded in the 10th century.

Youssef Dey Mosque in Tunis: 1616.

Great Mosque of Sousse: 851.

Great Mosque of Monastir: founded in the 9th century.

Great Mosque of Hammamet: founded in the 12th century.

Great Mosque of Kairouan: founded in 670, rebuilt in 836.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan is the oldest and most spectacular Friday mosque in Tunisia. It was founded in 670 by order of the Arab Umayyad general Uqba ibn Nafi. It was destroyed by Christian Berbers in 690 and rebuilt by the Umayyad dynasty in 703. As Arabs spread the faith across the Tunisia region, the number of Muslims in Kairouan grew. The Great Mosque of Kairouan underwent many rebuilds and renovations in 724-728, 774, 836, 862-863, and 875, finally taking its current form in the 9th century.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan is a massive, irregular quadrilateral with a perimeter of 405 meters. From the outside, it looks like a fortress. The outer walls are 1.9 meters thick and built from stone, rubble, and bricks. Because the ground is quite soft, the mosque's outer walls have many buttresses to add stability.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan has nine gates, some of which feature porches and ribbed domes. Bab Lalla Rihana on the southeast side was built in 1293 during the Hafsid dynasty. It features a horseshoe arch and ancient stone columns that blend perfectly with the 9th-century walls.



















The minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan was built between the 8th and 9th centuries. The current structure mostly dates to 836. It is ranked as one of the three most important early minarets, alongside the spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq (built 848-852) and the spiral minaret of the Abu Dulaf Mosque in Iraq (built 859). It served as a model for later minarets across Andalusia and the Maghreb.

During the time of the Prophet and the four Caliphs, there were no minarets. People called for prayer from the mosque entrance or the roof. Platforms for the call to prayer appeared during the Umayyad Caliphate in the 7th century, but true minarets did not emerge until the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century. There is no final conclusion on the origin of the minaret. Some say it mimics Syrian church towers, while others suggest it copies the Lighthouse of Alexandria or Mesopotamian ziggurats. Four towers were built during the reconstruction of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca in the late 8th century, but they have not survived. The oldest surviving minarets are the Great Mosque of Kairouan and two in Iraq. The Bride Minaret at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus may also date to the 9th century, but there is no clear record of this.

The minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is 31.5 meters high. Its base dates back to the Umayyad period in 725, and you can see Latin inscriptions from the Roman era on the walls. The first and second levels of the minaret were built in 836 using carefully cut stone. There are windows facing the courtyard and arrow slits on the other three sides. The third level of the minaret is a four-arched structure (chahartaq), which was likely added later.













Three sides of the Great Mosque are surrounded by double-row horseshoe arches. The columns come from various ancient Roman and Byzantine ruins, including some from the famous site of Carthage.

There is a dome above the main entrance of the prayer hall and another above the mihrab. These domes, built in 836, are important examples of early mosque architecture.

The prayer hall connects to the arcades through 17 carved wooden doors. The most exquisite one in the center was built in 1828 and features rich geometric and floral patterns.



















The mosque's mihrab is 5.1 meters high and was also built in 863. It is the oldest concave mihrab in the world. The main body of the mihrab is a horseshoe arch supported by two red marble columns. The columns have Byzantine-style capitals with very fine carvings.

The upper part of the mihrab has 139 luster tiles fired in the second half of the 9th century. This metallic-glazed pottery originated in Abbasid-ruled Iraq and circulated throughout West Asia and North Africa. It is not yet certain whether the luster tiles of the Great Mosque of Kairouan were fired in Iraq or if Iraqi craftsmen were invited to Kairouan to make them.

The concave surface in the center of the upper section is painted wood, featuring complex vine patterns in yellow on a blue background. The lower section is inlaid with 28 white marble slabs carved with complex plant and geometric patterns, including stylized grape leaves, flowers, and shells.



















Next to the mihrab are the minbar for the Friday sermon and the enclosure (maqsurah) used by kings and nobles.

The minbar of the Great Mosque of Kairouan was also built in 863 and is the oldest surviving minbar in the world. The minbar is made of teak imported from India and is assembled from over 300 wooden panels carved with plant and geometric designs. Although it was restored in the early 20th century, all but nine of the wooden panels are original pieces from over a thousand years ago. Today, the sides of the minbar are protected by glass, making it difficult to take photos due to the reflection.

The maqsurah of the Great Mosque of Kairouan was built in the first half of the 11th century and is the oldest one still in use in the world (the maqsurah of the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain was built in 965 but is no longer in use). The prayer enclosure (maqsura) is made of cedar wood and measures 14 meters long. It is carved with ornate Kufic calligraphy and floral patterns, representing the highest achievement in Tunisian carving art at the time.

The maqsura originated in the mid-7th century during the time of Caliph Uthman. After Caliph Umar was assassinated inside the main prayer hall, Uthman built a wall inside the hall to protect himself. Later, a maqsura was built in every mosque where a caliph prayed.



















The main prayer hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is 70.6 meters wide and 37.5 meters deep. It consists of 17 aisles, with the aisle directly facing the mihrab being the tallest and widest. This layout was later adopted by major mosques across the Maghreb and Andalusia.

The main hall contains 414 stone columns made of marble, granite, and porphyry. The column capitals feature Corinthian, Ionic, and composite styles. Some capitals were carved specifically for the main hall, while many others came from ancient Roman, Phoenician, and Byzantine sites in Tunisia, including the famous ancient city of Carthage.















The gate inside the main hall's maqsura is decorated with marble floral carvings. This gate leads to the library behind the qibla wall, which is also where the imam usually stays. The imam only comes out from here to lead the prayer and deliver the khutbah.





The grand scene of Jumu'ah at the Great Mosque of Kairouan. After the adhan is called, the imam slowly walks up the minbar to begin the khutbah. In Arabic-speaking regions, everyone understands the khutbah, so there is no need for a prior sermon (wa'z).

Tunisia follows the Maliki school of thought. The namaz movements are quite similar to our Hanafi school, including the initial raising of the hands, but the main difference is that they also fold their arms when making the intention.

After the prayer, we stood outside the main hall for the funeral prayer (janazah). Because Jumu'ah was at three o'clock, we immediately returned to the main hall to pray the Asr prayer (dhuhr/asr context) after finishing.

From the 9th to the 11th century, the Great Mosque of Kairouan was the academic center for the entire Maghreb region and the Maliki school. to religious courses, it offered subjects like mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and botany. In 1045, the Zirid dynasty court in Kairouan announced its adherence to the Sunni faith. Upon hearing this, the Shi'a Fatimid dynasty in Egypt sent a group of Arab tribes to invade Kairouan. In 1057, these Arab tribes occupied and destroyed Kairouan. The Great Mosque of Kairouan declined from then on and did not slowly recover until after the 13th century.



















The Museum of the Ribat of Monastir in Tunisia houses wooden components from the 9th to 11th centuries from the main hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Seeing these thousand-year-old North African wooden structures is truly stunning.

















Mosque of the Three Doors (Jami al-Thalathat Abwab) in Kairouan: 866.

Besides the Great Mosque, another ancient mosque existing in Kairouan is the Mosque of the Three Doors (Jami' al-Thalathat Abwab), built in 866. This mosque has the oldest decorated facade of any religious building in the world.

Today, only the facade of the Mosque of the Three Doors retains its 9th-century appearance, while the adjacent minaret was added in 1440. The gate of the Mosque of the Three Doors consists of three horseshoe arches and features four ancient stone columns. Above the arch are carved floral patterns and Kufic calligraphy, which include verses and the name of the builder, Muhammad ibn Khairun. Muhammad ibn Khairun was a scholar and merchant from Andalusia who traveled through Iraq and Egypt to reach Kairouan, Tunisia. When the minaret was added in 1440, the original 9th-century inscriptions were rearranged to make room for new text.



















Mosque of the Barber (Zaouia of Sidi Sahab) in Kairouan: 1629.

In the northwest of the Kairouan Medina stands an important tomb for Sidi Sahib, a companion and barber to the Prophet, which is why it is also called the Barber Mosque.

Legend says Sidi Sahib died in a battle in 654 and was buried here. By the 11th century, this place had become a famous religious site, and the gongbei (tomb shrine) was built in the 14th century. The Bey of Tunis, Hammuda Pasha (reigned 1631-66), expanded the tomb significantly in 1629 and built a new main hall. Another Bey, Mohamed (reigned 1675-96), built a new minaret and madrasa between 1690 and 1695. After the 19th century, the tomb of Sidi Sahib underwent several renovations, but it kept its 17th-century architectural style.











The interior features many classic 17th-century Tunisian Qallalin tiles and rich stucco carvings.



















In the courtyard with the minaret, gate, and main hall, an old man pours perfume into the hands of every dost (friend/visitor) who comes to visit the grave.









Zaytuna Mosque in Kairouan: date unknown.

Outside the west gate of the Kairouan Medina is the Zeitouna Mosque, which has a similar architectural style to the Great Mosque of Kairouan but is smaller in scale.











Great Mosque of Zaytuna in Tunis: founded in 698, rebuilt in 864.

The Great Mosque of Al-Zaytuna in Tunis is the second great mosque built by Arabs in the Maghreb region after the Great Mosque of Kairouan, and it is the grandest mosque in Tunis.

One theory suggests the Umayyad general Hasan ibn al-Nu'man built the mosque after conquering Carthage in 698, while another suggests the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn al-Habhab built it between 732 and 733. The current structure of the Great Mosque of Al-Zaytuna mainly follows the design from the Aghlabid dynasty's reconstruction in 864-65, making it very similar to the Great Mosque of Kairouan, which was rebuilt in the same period. Stone inscriptions inside the mosque mention that the main patron of the reconstruction was the Abbasid Caliph al-Musta'in bi-llah. The original 9th-century structure remains mostly in the interior of the main hall and the round corner towers in the north and east.

Between 990 and 995, the Zirid dynasty expanded the mosque, adding a gallery and a dome at the entrance to the main hall. The main hall contains 160 ancient stone columns, many of which were taken from the ruins of Carthage. The dome in front of the mihrab was built in the 9th century and is carved with Kufic inscriptions. The stucco carvings on the walls of the central corridor also date back to the 9th century, while other decorations can be traced to after the 13th century.



















The gold-leaf marble carving at the center of the mihrab in the Great Mosque of Zaytuna dates back to the 9th century, while the surrounding plaster carvings were added during the Ottoman period in 1638. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part of the Cairo mosque journey begins with early landmarks such as Al-Hakim Mosque and Al-Aqmar Mosque. It preserves the source's mosque names, founding years, dynastic context, street route, architectural details, and photographs.

Al-Hakim Mosque: 1013

Al-Aqmar Mosque: 1125

Al-Ashraf Mosque: 1424

Al-Azhar Mosque: 972

Al-Hussein Mosque: built in 1154, rebuilt in 1874

Abu al-Dhahab Mosque: 1774

Al-Muayyad Mosque: 1415

Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque: 1160

Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque: 1395

Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque: 1480

Mosque of Ahmad al-Mihmandar: 1324

Mosque of Amir Altinbugha al-Mardani: 1338

Mosque of Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban: 1368

Blue Mosque: 1347

Sayyida Fatima Mosque: 18th-century expansion

Khayrbak Mosque: 1519

Sultan Hasan Mosque: 1356

Rifa'i Mosque: 1869.

Ibn Tulun Mosque: 876.

Taghribirdi Mosque: 1440

Shaykhu Mosque: 1349

Qanibay al-Muhammadi Mosque: 1413

Al-Hakim Mosque: 1013

Right next to the north wall of Old Cairo is the Al-Hakim Mosque. It is named after the sixth caliph of the Fatimid dynasty, who was also the 16th imam of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (reigned 996-1021). The Al-Hakim Mosque was started in 990 by the fifth Fatimid Caliph, al-Aziz Billah (reigned 975-996), and finished in 1013 by Caliph al-Hakim. It is now 1,012 years old.

The mosque originally sat outside the Cairo city walls, but it was brought inside after the walls were rebuilt in 1087. Its architectural style is similar to the Al-Azhar Mosque, but it is twice as large. The most striking features are the two minarets built on square brick bases. When the minarets were first built in 1003, they were separate structures. They were not encased in brick until 1010. Some scholars suggest this change relates to 1010, when the ruler of Mecca rejected Fatimid authority, weakening the dynasty's power. The outer wall of the southern brick base has Fatimid-era marble carvings in Kufic script. Because the northern base was incorporated into the northern wall of Old Cairo in 1087, its Kufic carvings were moved to the outside of the city wall.

During the Crusades, the Franks used the mosque as a prison. Later, Saladin used it as a stable. It was repaired during the Mamluk period in the 14th century, but it eventually fell into ruin for a long time. The mosque was repaired in 1808, and a small, colorful marble mihrab added during that time still exists today.

In the 20th century, the mosque served as a school until 1980, when the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Shia Islam carried out a massive reconstruction and renovation using white marble. Inside the main hall after the reconstruction, only the original plaster carvings, wooden beams, and scripture remained. This restoration was criticized by scholars for being 'inauthentic' and sparked widespread debate. In 2017, the Dawoodi Bohra community and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a new round of repairs, and the mosque did not reopen until February 2023.



















Al-Aqmar Mosque: 1125

Walking south from the Al-Hakim Mosque along Al-Mu'izz Street, the main road of Old Cairo, you can see the famous Fatimid-era Aqmar Mosque. The Aqmar Mosque was built in 1125-1126 by order of the Fatimid vizier Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi. It sat at the northeast corner of the Fatimid Eastern Palace, right next to the palace grounds.

The Aqmar Mosque is a landmark in Egyptian architectural history. It was the first mosque with a main entrance aligned with the street rather than the qibla wall, meaning it was the first planned according to Cairo's street layout. It was also the first to feature complex stone carvings. The facade of the Aqmar Mosque is very luxurious. Above the entrance is a medallion surrounded by a grille, with the names of the Prophet and Ali in the center and scripture around it—a unique decoration in Cairo.

At the top of the left facade are carvings of doors and windows. The window on the left symbolizes the ceremonial grille the Fatimids took back from the palace of their rivals, the Abbasids in Baghdad, representing victory. Inside the window are a lamp and a six-pointed star, based on the Shia hadith: 'The star is a promise to the world, and it will not be submerged.' Below the window are carvings of plants growing from a flower pot, referencing the Prophet's words about Hasan and Husayn: 'My two fragrant herbs in the world.' The door in the upper right corner comes from the famous Shia hadith: 'I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.'

Because it was near the Fatimid palace, the Aqmar Mosque originally had no minaret. One was added by the Mamluk dynasty at the end of the 14th century, and the cylindrical top was rebuilt during the Ottoman period.

In 1993, the Dawoodi Bohras branch of Shia Islam carried out a large-scale renovation of the Aqmar Mosque. Most of the historical elements inside the main hall were not preserved, which led to criticism.



















Al-Ashraf Mosque: 1424

The Ashraf Mosque (Al-Ashraf Mosque) was built in 1424 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay, who reigned from 1422 to 1438. The complex includes a main prayer hall, a school, a tomb, and a Sufi lodge (khanqah). It features a dome with geometric carvings, which is an early example of decorative dome carving.

Barsbay was once a Mamluk slave of Sultan Barquq and later served as a tutor to the young Sultan Muhammad. With support from the governor of Damascus and other emirs, Barsbay deposed the young sultan in 1422 and took the throne himself.

Barsbay’s 16-year reign was a time of relative safety and stability for the Mamluk Sultanate, with almost no wars. He was very generous to the poor and to Sufis, and he carried out a series of administrative reforms.

People called Barsbay the Merchant Sultan because he placed great importance on trade. He took steps to strengthen control over the Mediterranean and Red Seas, diverted Indian Ocean trade routes through Jeddah, and created state monopolies on sugar and pepper. He lowered tariffs to attract merchants and monopolized most of the trade from the East, which angered many European powers.



















Al-Azhar Mosque: 972

In 969 AD, the Shia Ismaili Fatimid dynasty conquered Egypt and began building their new capital, Cairo. At that time, the densely populated Sunni city of Fustat already existed south of Cairo, so the new city became the center for the Shia Ismaili faith.

After two years of construction, the first Friday mosque (Jami) in Cairo opened in 972 and was named the Cairo Mosque (Jami al-Qahira) after the city. The Cairo Mosque was later renamed the Al-Azhar Mosque (al-Jami al-Azhar), with Al-Azhar meaning the Radiant.

After the Al-Azhar Mosque opened, the Ismailis moved from secret to public preaching. The mosque's first chief judge, Qadi al-Numan, became the founder of Ismaili law and the author of the authoritative Ismaili text, The Pillars of Islam (Kitab da'a'im al-Islam).

The main hall of the Al-Azhar Mosque is a columned hall. The marble columns in the four rows of arcades came from ruins of the Pharaohs, ancient Rome, and the Copts, and they were leveled using bases of different heights.

The roof of the main hall originally had three domes, but none survived later renovations. The original mihrab was rediscovered in 1933, and the niche still preserves ornate stucco carvings from the Fatimid period.

Several Fatimid caliphs expanded and renovated the Al-Azhar Mosque. Caliph al-Hafiz, who reigned from 1132 to 1149, carried out a major renovation in 1138. The four-centered arches in the courtyard and the dome at the entrance to the main hall date from this time. The stucco carvings in the courtyard also come from this period, though they were renovated again in 1891.



















In 1171, Saladin overthrew the Fatimid dynasty and established the Sunni Ayyubid dynasty. The Friday prayers for Cairo moved to the Hakim Mosque in the north of the city, and the Al-Azhar Mosque was neglected because it had been the center of the Ismaili faith. Saladin removed the silver bands from the mihrab niche of the Al-Azhar Mosque that bore the names of the Fatimid caliphs and destroyed all the Ismaili manuscripts kept in the mosque.

It was not until 1266 that the Mamluk Sultan Baybars, who reigned from 1260 to 1277, restored Friday prayers at the Al-Azhar Mosque and repaired the building. The Ayyubid dynasty followed the Shafi'i school of law, which held that a community should have only one main Friday mosque. The Mamluk dynasty followed the Hanafi school, which did not have this rule.

The Mamluk dynasty left two grand minarets at Al-Azhar Mosque: the Qaytbay minaret and the twin minarets of Al-Ghuri, along with the Qaytbay Gate. The Qaytbay minaret was built in 1483 or 1495 and features three balconies decorated with ornate carvings. The Qaytbay Gate was built in 1495 and leads directly into the courtyard. Both are exquisite examples of late Mamluk architecture. During the reign of Sultan Qaytbay (1468-96), the Mamluk dynasty was politically and economically stable and won several military victories against the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan was very interested in art and architecture and sponsored as many as 230 buildings.

In 1509, the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (reigned 1501-16) built the twin minarets of Al-Ghuri. Al-Ghuri was the last powerful ruler of the Mamluk dynasty. He was eventually defeated by the Ottoman Empire and fell on the battlefield in Syria.



















In 1517, the Ottoman Empire conquered the Mamluk dynasty and occupied Egypt, causing the status of Al-Azhar Mosque to decline once again. It was not until after the 18th century, when the Mamluk elite regained influence in Egypt, that renovations and expansions of Al-Azhar Mosque continued.

In 1749, Abd al-Rahman was appointed as the head of the guards (Katkhuda). In 1753, he oversaw the construction of three Ottoman-style gates for Al-Azhar Mosque: the Barbers' Gate (Bab al-Muzayinīn), the Gate of the Upper Egyptians (Bab al-Sa'ayida), and the Soup Gate (Bab al-Shurba). Outside the Barbers' Gate was where students got their hair cut, 'Sa'ayida' means people from Upper Egypt, and the Soup Gate was where students went to get soup. From then on, the Barbers' Gate became the main entrance to Al-Azhar Mosque.

Abd al-Rahman also doubled the size of the main prayer hall of Al-Azhar Mosque to the south and added a new mihrab, giving the hall its current shape. After Abd al-Rahman died in 1776, he was buried inside Al-Azhar Mosque, becoming the last person in history to be buried there.

After the 18th century, Al-Azhar Mosque became the most influential educational institution in Egypt, and the ulama (scholars) could report to the Pasha (governor) as official advisors.

Napoleon occupied Cairo on July 22, 1798. On October 21, an uprising against the French broke out at Al-Azhar Mosque. Napoleon shelled the mosque directly from the Cairo Citadel, resulting in over 3,000 Egyptian casualties and the death of six Al-Azhar ulama. Napoleon's troops tied their horses to the mihrab of Al-Azhar Mosque and ransacked the student dormitories and the library. In 1800, the commander-in-chief of the French expeditionary force was assassinated by an Al-Azhar student, after which Napoleon ordered the closure of Al-Azhar Mosque. In June 1801, Cairo was recaptured by the British and the Ottoman Empire, and Al-Azhar Mosque reopened.



















Between 1892 and 1901, the last Khedive (viceroy) of Ottoman Egypt, Abbas II Hilmi Pasha, rebuilt the facade of Al-Azhar Mosque as part of a wave of modernization in British-occupied Egypt. At the same time, Al-Azhar University also carried out educational reforms to oppose fundamentalism. To mitigate the impact of the Saudi Wahhabi movement, many students from Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia came to study at Al-Azhar University during this period.

The last two pictures show the Fatimid dynasty stucco carvings restored by the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Art Monuments during the reign of Abbas II Hilmi Pasha.













Al-Hussein Mosque: built in 1154, rebuilt in 1874

Across from Al-Azhar Mosque is Al-Hussein Mosque, where Shia Muslims believe the head of Imam Hussein is buried. The mosque was first built in 1154, but its current appearance dates to a reconstruction in 1874.

The Fatimid dynasty believed the Abbasid dynasty secretly moved Imam Hussein's head from the Umayyad Mosque cemetery in Damascus. The Fatimids rediscovered it in 1091 and built a shrine for it in Ashkelon, Palestine.

In 1153, the Fatimid dynasty ordered the head of Hussein moved to Cairo to be buried with past Fatimid caliphs, and they built Al-Hussein Mosque in 1154. The lower part of the south gate of Al-Hussein Mosque still keeps its original Fatimid structure.

Al-Hussein Mosque was rebuilt by the Ayyubid dynasty in 1237, but it later burned down, leaving only one Ayyubid minaret today.

In 1874, Isma'il Pasha (reigned 1863-79), the ruler of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, rebuilt Al-Hussein Mosque in a Gothic Revival style and added a minaret blending Gothic and Ottoman styles. During his rule, Isma'il Pasha modernized Egypt on a large scale, trying to align Egypt with Europe, and the renovation of Al-Hussein Mosque was part of this effort.

In 1893, a room for Prophet Muhammad's relics (Bab al-Mukhallafat al-Nabawiyya) was added next to the shrine. It holds four strands of the Prophet's hair, a linen cloak he wore, a lantern, a copper kohl applicator, a staff, and a sword given to him by a companion.

The center of the shrine today is a metal grille (Zarih) made in Mumbai in 1965 by Taher Saifuddin, the leader of the Dawoodi Bohras. It is said this Zarih was originally designed for the shrine of Abbas ibn Ali in Karbala, but it could not be installed there. Taher Saifuddin believed this was guided by Allah, so he had the Zarih flown to Cairo and installed in Al-Hussein Mosque.



















Abu al-Dhahab Mosque: 1774

Right next to the west wall of Al-Azhar Mosque is the Abu al-Dhahab Mosque, built in 1774 by the Egyptian Mamluk ruler Abu al-Dhahab. This was the last large building complex the Mamluks built in Egypt, but only the mosque remains today.

Abu al-Dhahab means 'Father of Gold,' and he was a wealthy and generous Mamluk emir. During the Russo-Turkish War, the Egyptian Mamluk emir Ali Bey declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, and Abu al-Dhahab led troops to conquer most of the Hejaz and Syria. After taking Damascus in 1772, Abu al-Dhahab turned his army to occupy Cairo, becoming the actual ruler of Egypt until he died suddenly of the plague in 1775 while conquering Palestine.

The architecture of Abu al-Dhahab Mosque mixes different elements, including Mamluk-style outer walls, Ottoman-style domes, and a minaret inspired by the early 16th-century minaret of the nearby Sultan Qaytbay complex.



















The prayer niche (mihrab) and the pulpit (minbar) of Abu al-Dhahab Mosque feature Mamluk-style decorations inlaid with mother-of-pearl and marble.

















Al-Muayyad Mosque: 1415

Right next to the south gate of the old city of Cairo is the Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque, built between 1415 and 1421 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh (reigned 1412-1421). This site was originally a prison, and legend says Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad was held here when he was young. At the time, he suffered greatly from fleas and lice, so he made a dua that if he ever became Sultan, he would turn the site into a place for teaching and learning. This wish later came true.

With the Sultan's funding, the madrasa inside the Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque became one of Cairo's most famous academic institutions in the 15th century. The large endowment left after the Sultan passed away allowed the school to hire the most brilliant scholars of the time. Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, the most famous authority on Islamic jurisprudence in Egypt, taught Shafi'i law here.

The madrasa at the Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque taught the four schools of Islamic law: Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali. According to mosque records, the school could accommodate 50 Hanafi students, 40 Shafi'i students, 15 Maliki students, and 10 Hanbali students, along with their teachers and imams. There were also two classes with 20 students each dedicated to studying Quranic exegesis and Hadith.

The Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque is the last large hypostyle mosque in Cairo. It originally had four facades, but today only the east side and the main prayer hall remain from the original structure. The mosque's main gate is known as the last grand gate of the Mamluk dynasty. It is decorated with beautiful geometric marble patterns, Kufic calligraphy, and complex stucco carvings.



















The main prayer hall of the Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque was one of the most ornate in Egypt at the time, and the qibla wall is decorated with colorful marble. The supporting stone columns were collected from Cairo and the surrounding areas, and they likely date back to the pre-Islamic era. The circular colorful marble decoration above the mihrab is also very unique, as this style was almost always used for floors rather than walls. Turkish tiles were added to the qibla wall in the 1840s, but they were removed to restore the original design during a 2001 renovation.



















The Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque features exquisite wood carvings from the Mamluk period, including the minbar, wooden doors, and ceilings. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This 2017 mosque-visit record follows 27 historic mosques and Muslim heritage sites across different places. The English version keeps the original route, mosque names, photos, and local details while making the long record easier to read.

In 2017, I continued visiting Hui Muslim communities along the Grand Canal and started visiting those along the Yangtze River. That year, I traveled to Cangzhou in Hebei, Linqing, Liaocheng, Xuzhou, Huai'an, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang in Jiangsu, and Jiaxing and Hangzhou in Zhejiang along the Grand Canal. Along the Yangtze, I visited Shanghai, Nanjing in Jiangsu, Wuhu, Hexian, and Anqing in Anhui, Jiujiang in Jiangxi, and Wuhan and Jingzhou in Hubei. I recorded the scenes of these Hui Muslim communities and visited some of their ancient mosques and historical sites. Some of these communities, like those in Wuhan and Jingzhou, have since been demolished, making these records a piece of history. In the summer, I also went to Dali to visit some ancient mosques in Weishan and Eryuan. I actually visited many ancient mosques in 2017, but some were revisited later and included in previous articles, so they were not counted here. This article includes 27 of them.

January: 3 mosques in Jiangsu.

Yangzhou Puhading Tomb Mosque: Puhading is said to be a 16th-generation descendant of the Prophet. He came to Yangzhou during the Southern Song dynasty (1265-1274) and passed away in 1275 during the Yuan dynasty. He was buried on a high ridge east of the Dongguan River in the new city, a place later called Huihui Tang (commonly known as Baba Yao). The main prayer hall of the mosque is next to the gate of the Puhading tomb complex. Stone carvings inside the gate record that in 1845, people of various surnames donated funds to build a stone embankment and renovate the hall.



Zhenjiang Xinhe Street Mosque: Built in 1930, it was originally a private residence purchased with donations from Hui Muslims in both Shanghai and Zhenjiang. It is a traditional Jiangnan-style house with three courtyards and two side wings. In 1926, Fa Jiesan, who moved from Zhenjiang to Shanghai, discussed theology with Imam Ha Cheng of the Xiaotaoyuan Mosque. After accepting the teachings of the Ikhwan sect, he returned to Zhenjiang and began practicing his faith at home according to Ikhwan rituals. Later, funds were raised in Shanghai and Zhenjiang to build an Ikhwan-style mosque on Xinhe Street. In 1958, the Xinhe Street Mosque merged with the Dashan Lane Mosque. It later became a dormitory for a forestry machinery factory and has been abandoned ever since.



Zhenjiang Gurun Mosque: First built in the Yuan dynasty, it was destroyed at the end of the Yuan and beginning of the Ming dynasty. It was rebuilt during the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty and moved to Jianzi Lane in the city in 1602. It was occupied after 1958, destroyed in the 1970s and 1980s, and completely demolished in 2005 before being rebuilt at its current location. The site preserves a stone tablet from the Ming dynasty renovation, an ancient well railing, three Qing dynasty renovation tablets, and the mihrab from the original mosque outside the south gate of Zhenjiang.



February: 2 mosques in Zhejiang.

Jiaxing Mosque: First built in 1602, it was renovated in 1747 when a lecture hall was added to the east side of the main hall. The gate was rebuilt in 1774. After the Taiping Rebellion, it fell into ruin until it was reused by Hui Muslims who moved there from Henan after the Republic of China was established.



Hangzhou Phoenix Mosque: Originally named Zhenjiao Mosque, it was destroyed at the end of the Southern Song dynasty and rebuilt in the early Yuan dynasty. When Zhongshan Road was widened in 1929, the gate and the Moon-Watching Tower (Wangyue Lou) were demolished. The main hall was torn down in 1953. Today, only the kiln-style hall (yaodian) remains from the Yuan and Ming dynasties.



March: 3 mosques in Jiangsu.

Huai'an Hexia Mosque: Located in the ancient town of Hexia, it was built between the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Ten of its rooms were burned down by the Nian Army in the late Qing dynasty, but it was later repaired.



Huai'an Qingjiang Mosque: First built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, it was renovated and expanded twice during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. It was destroyed by the Nian Army in 1860 and rebuilt in 1870.



Huai'an Wangjiaying Mosque: Located on the north bank of the old Yellow River course, it was built during the Yongzheng reign. It was destroyed in the war with the Nian Army in 1860 and rebuilt in 1867. It was damaged in 1966, with the main hall used as a warehouse for a shoe and hat factory, and was rebuilt in 1979. The old imam of the Wangying Mosque, Chang Tingzhang, studied at a daotang in Lingwu County (Lingzhou), Ningxia, during the Qianlong reign. Subsequent imams also went to Ningxia to study, making it a mosque of the Jahriyya (Zhe) sect.



March: 2 mosques in Hebei.

Cangzhou North Mosque: The area near the south gate of Cangzhou was a key path to the Grand Canal. Most Hui Muslims, who were mostly craftspeople and small traders, chose to live here. In 1420 (the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty), the Cangzhou North Mosque was officially built in the south of the city, with land donated and construction led by Wu Yongzuo.



Cangzhou Botou Mosque: In 1404 (the second year of the Yongle reign), the Ming Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di, ordered residents to move to Cangzhou. Many Hui Muslims arrived in Botou because of this. Records show that Hui Muslims with the seven surnames of Yang, Cao, Dai, Hui, Zhang, Wang, and Shi all moved to Botou in 1404 by imperial decree from Erlanggang, Shangyuan County, Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing. Research shows that Erlanggang was a camp for Semu people who surrendered to the Ming from the Yuan Dynasty. The Botou Mosque was officially completed that year. The Botou Mosque underwent large-scale expansion during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, reaching its current form.



April, 1 mosque in Hubei

Wuhan Qiyi Street Mosque: The first mosque in Wuchang with a recorded history is the Qingjing Mosque, built in the early Ming Dynasty. Because it was located at the east gate of the Huguang Governor's Office inside the Wangshan Gate in the south of Wuchang city, it was later called the Yuanmenkou Mosque. It was also commonly known as the Shanqian Mosque because it sat south of Snake Hill. According to the Kangxi edition of the Wuchang Prefecture Gazetteer of Huguang, the Yuanmenkou Mosque once held the famous 'Imperial Praise of the Prophet in One Hundred Words' stone tablet by the Ming Emperor Taizu. The courtyard of the current Qiyi Street Mosque holds three 'One Hundred Word Praise' tablets. Besides one carved in the Qing Dynasty, the other two broken tablets are very likely the originals from the Yuanmenkou Mosque.



May, 1 mosque in Jiangxi

Jiujiang Mosque: In 1450 (the first year of the Jingtai reign of the Ming Dynasty), Hui Muslim general Ma Hazhi was transferred to be the commander-in-chief of Jiujiang. He led three imams and over 1,500 Hui Muslim officers and soldiers, along with their families, to station in Jiujiang. They built the first Jiujiang Mosque next to the military camp at Jiwan outside the West Gate. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the political situation was unstable, so many Hui Muslims left Jiujiang and the mosque was destroyed. It is said the mosque was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, and two imperial tablets were carved during the Qianlong reign, but they were later destroyed in war. In 1821 (the first year of the Daoguang reign), Hui Muslim generals Tao Kuichen and Zhao Zhenqing from Shouzhou, Anhui, were transferred to be the garrison commander and city defense battalion leader in Jiujiang. They brought 500 Hui Muslim Flying Tiger Battalion soldiers and their families to station in Jiujiang. After that, many Hui Muslims from Anhui and Henan came to Jiujiang to do business and settle down. In 1850 (the 30th year of the Daoguang reign), Qian Baochang, an antique dealer from Huaining, Anhui, took the lead in donating timber to build two rooms and renovate the Jiujiang Mosque. In 1898 (the 24th year of the Guangxu reign), Hui Muslim general Zhu Tianqing from Shouzhou, Anhui, who served as the Jiujiang garrison commander, and Jiujiang commander-in-chief Tao Zhan led an expansion of the Jiujiang Mosque. The boundary stone set during this renovation remains today.



June, 2 mosques in Anhui

Anqing Nanguan Mosque: In 1469 (the fifth year of the Chenghua reign), the hereditary Cavalry General Ma Yi built the Anqing Nanguan Mosque on Zhongxiao Street inside the Zhenhai Gate (South Gate) of Anqing. The main gate faced the city wall, and he also built the Ma Family Muslim Dunyue Hall as a residence next to the mosque. In 1643 (the 16th year of the Chongzhen reign), the late Ming warlord Zuo Liangyu led his troops through Anqing, and the Nanguan Mosque was damaged. It was renovated during the Kangxi reign. In 1853 (the third year of the Xianfeng reign), the Nanguan Mosque was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion. In 1876 (the second year of the Guangxu reign), the main hall was built in the style of the Wanshou Palace and Fengzhi Guild Hall with a round ridge, and the reconstruction was finally completed in 1897 (the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign).



Anqing Xiguan Mosque: During the Qianlong reign, the number of Hui Muslims outside the West Gate of Anqing grew, but the prayer times did not match the city gate opening and closing times, making it very inconvenient to go to the Nanguan Mosque. Therefore, Ma Tianrong, a 12th-generation descendant of the Ma family of the Dunyue Hall in Huaining, donated two public houses outside the South Gate to build a new mosque at Gou'erkou outside the West Gate. In 1877 (the 13th year of the Guangxu reign), the Xiguan Mosque moved to the street behind Gou'er Mountain outside the West Gate. In 1995, Xiguan Mosque was renovated and expanded into a kindergarten for ethnic minorities, and today only the main gate remains.



Three mosques in Shanghai in June.

Shanghai Fuyou Road Mosque: It was first called Chuanxin Street Prayer Hall, later renamed Chuanxin Street Mosque, and is commonly known as the North Mosque. In 1863 (the second year of the Tongzhi reign), Hui Muslims from Nanjing living near the Old North Gate of Shanghai rented two single-story houses on Xiaopi Lane as a temporary place for namaz. In 1870 (the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign), 31 community elders including Ma Hanzhang, Ha Qingtang, and Jin Lanpo raised funds under the name Wubentang to rebuild it into a main prayer hall on Chuanxin Street. In 1897 (the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign), 22 elders including Ha Shaofu and Jiang Xingjie raised money to buy land and expand the mosque by two halls, completing the work in 1900 (the 26th year of the Guangxu reign). In 1905 (the 31st year of the Guangxu reign), 31 elders including Ha Shaofu, Jiang Xingjie, Sha Yunjun, Jin Dongxu, and Yang Zhuping raised funds again to buy land and expand the mosque to three halls. In 1935, the famous Hui Muslim merchant Ha Shaofu initiated the conversion of the street-facing stone-gate (shikumen) residence into a three-story reinforced concrete building, with a moon-viewing pavilion built on the rooftop terrace.



Shanghai Xiaotaoyuan Mosque: Formerly known as the West City Mosque, it is commonly known as the West Mosque. In 1917, the famous Hui Muslim merchant Jin Ziyun bought a garden residence on Xiaotaoyuan Street in Xicang and donated the land to build the mosque. In 1925, Jin Ziyun initiated another fundraising campaign, including donations from places like Hong Kong, to rebuild the mosque into its current form.



Shanghai Zhejiang Road Mosque: Formerly known as the Concession Mosque, it is commonly known as the Foreign Mosque. In 1855 (the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign), an Indian named Dosti, who worked as a chef at the Indian Bapali Trading Company in Shanghai, bought land to serve as a cemetery for foreign nationals and built a prayer hall. In 1870 (the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign), the Bapali Trading Company funded the construction of an official Concession Mosque and appointed an Indian named Wuliamu Ali as the first imam. At that time, many Hui Muslim fur and cotton merchants from Henan and Hubei provinces had shops around the Concession Mosque and visited it frequently. In 1880 (the sixth year of the Guangxu reign), Wuliamu Ali traveled to Henan, Hubei, and other places to raise funds to rebuild the mosque. Later, the mosque was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 1900 (the 26th year of the Guangxu reign) with more than 10 buildings constructed along the street to collect rent for the mosque's upkeep.



Six mosques in Yunnan in July.

Dali Xiaoweigeng Mosque: Built at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was destroyed in the first month of the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign (1873), rebuilt in 1908, expanded in 1976, and rebuilt again in 1990.



Dali Kelizhuang Mosque: Located in Xizhou Town, it was rebuilt in 1908, with a significant portion of the funding coming from overseas Chinese in Myanmar. Kelizhuang is a famous hometown for overseas Chinese. Historically, it had powerful horse caravans that traveled throughout Yunnan to Kunming, Simao, and Zhongdian, and connected south to cities in Myanmar like Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Lashio. Since the end of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China era, hundreds of families from Kelizhuang have moved to Myanmar, and people from Kelizhuang have often served as the imam at the Chinese mosque in Yangon's Chinatown.



Dali Sanmei Mosque: The Sanmei Mosque on the Dengchuan Plain was built in 1908. The Hui Muslims here speak the Bai language and wear Bai ethnic clothing, and their architectural style is very similar to that of the Bai people, so outsiders call them the White Hui Muslims.



Dali Huihuideng Mosque: The front part of the main hall is a reinforced concrete structure built in 1993, while the back part is a wooden structure built in 1944, so it looks like a new mosque from the front and an old one from the back.



Dali Shenhe Village Mosque: The main hall was rebuilt in 1995, and the minaret was built in 1946.



Dalishi Pang Mosque: Built in 1896, with its minaret added in 1920, this is also a white-style mosque (baihuisi).



August, 1 mosque in Jiangsu.

Liuhe Changjiang Road Mosque: Originally named Chengqingfang Mosque, it is also called Liuhe North Mosque and Dashi Mosque. It was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Its architectural style mimics the Liuhe South Gate Mosque. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt during the Guangxu reign. In 1928, Lady Da (the aunt of Da Pusheng), the widow of wealthy merchant Wang Zuochen, donated funds to build the Wuxin Pavilion on the original site of the Wangyue Tower.



August, 2 mosques in Anhui.

Wuhu Mosque: Hui Muslims began settling in Wuhu no later than the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The earliest mosque was built in the early Qing Dynasty near Jixiang Mosque at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Qingyi River. It was burned down during the Taiping Rebellion. In 1864, migrants purchased land outside the North Gate at Beilangpu to rebuild it, and it was expanded again in 1902.



Hexian Mosque: The Great Mosque of Hezhou was first built in 1368 (the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty). According to the Records of Rebuilding the Confucian School in Hezhou, in 1525 (the fourth year of the Jiajing reign), the newly appointed Hezhou magistrate Yi Luan visited the Confucian Mosque and declared that the "licentious shrine" was indulging the Hui people too much, so he ordered the destruction of the Hezhou Mosque. It was not until 1637 (the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign) that the Hezhou Mosque was rebuilt, after the insurgent army of Ma Shouying, a Hui Muslim from Shaanxi, joined forces with other late Ming rebel groups to capture Hezhou. It was rebuilt into its current structure in 1837 (the seventeenth year of the Daoguang reign).



December, 1 mosque in Shanghai.

Songjiang Mosque: Originally named Zhenjiao Mosque, it was built during the Zhizheng years of the Yuan Dynasty, rebuilt in 1391, and later expanded and renovated many times.



In 2018, I visited 101 ancient mosques across 5 countries and 8 provinces. It was a very fulfilling year. In February, I went to Shanhaiguan. During the Spring Festival holiday, I visited the Cham community in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and then traveled to Delhi, India, to visit many historical sites from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire periods. During the Qingming holiday, I went to Xinjiang to search for the history of the Yarkent Khanate. During the May Day holiday, I went to Lhasa to visit the Tibetan Hui Muslim community. In June, I went to the UAE for Eid al-Fitr, and then I went to Tianjin to eat and explore. In July, I used my weekends to visit Nanjing and Suizhong in Liaoning to eat and explore. In September, I went to Taiyuan to do the same. At the end of September, I used my annual leave and the National Day holiday to visit Azerbaijan and Turkey, where I saw over a hundred old buildings. In November, I went to Kaifeng for sightseeing and food. See "101 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2018".

By 2019, I had mastered the skill of using holidays to visit ancient mosques abroad. I would first research a lot of information, pick the mosques worth seeing, and then use map websites to plan my route to visit as many as possible in the limited time. I visited a total of 64 ancient mosques across 7 countries and 2 provinces. See '64 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2019'.

At the start of 2020, I went to Urumqi for the Spring Festival holiday and visited the Shaanxi Old Quarter mosque. Later, I was almost locked down and unable to return to Beijing. I worked from home during the first half of the year. Once restrictions were lifted in early July, we spent a weekend visiting the Hongshuiquan Grand Mosque in Qinghai. In August, we took our honeymoon and visited 18 ancient mosques in Yunnan and Sichuan. During the National Day holiday, we traveled upstream along the Han River and visited 3 ancient mosques in southern Shaanxi. In total, I visited 23 ancient mosques across 5 provinces in 2020. See '23 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2020'.

In January 2021, mosques in Beijing were closed. In mid-March, travel restrictions were lifted, so I rushed to visit ancient mosques in Henan, Jiangsu, Hebei, Xinjiang, Liaoning, Shanxi, Tianjin, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. By July, travel out of Beijing was restricted again. During the National Day holiday, there were no new cases nationwide, so we went on a road trip to Yunnan to visit ancient mosques. After the holiday, I could not leave Beijing again. In 2021, with less than half a year of actual freedom, I visited 47 ancient mosques across 11 provinces and cities. See '47 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2021'.

2022 was the most difficult year, as I was unable to leave Beijing for the entire year. That year, I visited some ruins of former ancient mosques in Beijing and some mosques I had never been to before, totaling 25 ancient mosques for the year. See "Visiting 25 Ancient Mosques in Beijing in 2022."

Travel restrictions within Beijing were lifted in early 2023, and international travel restrictions were lifted in May. This year saw an explosion of travel, covering 11 provinces and cities, 6 countries, and three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—for a total of 124 ancient mosques. See "Visiting 124 Ancient Mosques in 2023."

Life gradually returned to normal in 2024, and the number of ancient mosques I visited dropped due to work changes and spending time with my children. This year I went to 6 provinces and 3 countries, visiting 63 ancient mosques. I visited Malaysia three times, touring 24 ancient mosques, which covers almost all the ancient mosques in Malaysia. See "Visiting 63 Ancient Mosques in 2024." view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part of the 2018 mosque-visit record covers a wide route through historic mosques, local Muslim communities, and Islamic heritage sites. It preserves the original mosque names, photos, dates, and travel observations in clear English.

In 2018, I visited 101 ancient mosques across 5 countries and 8 provinces. It was a very fulfilling year. In February, I went to Shanhaiguan to see the winter sea and visit the ancient mosque there. During the Spring Festival holiday, I visited the Cham community in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Then I went to Delhi, India, to see many historical sites from the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire periods. During the Qingming Festival holiday, I went to Yarkant (Shache) in Xinjiang to listen to Muqam music and look for the history of the Yarkand Khanate. During the May Day holiday, I went to Lhasa to visit the Tibetan Hui Muslim community. In June, I went to the UAE for Eid al-Fitr, and then I went to Tianjin to eat and explore. In July, I used my weekends to visit Nanjing and Suizhong in Liaoning to eat and explore. In September, I went to Taiyuan to do the same. At the end of September, I used my annual leave and the National Day holiday to visit Azerbaijan and Turkey, where I saw over a hundred old buildings. In November, I went to Kaifeng to eat and explore.

By 2019, I had mastered the skill of using holidays to visit ancient mosques abroad. I would first research a lot of information, pick the mosques worth seeing, and then use map websites to plan my route to visit as many as possible in the limited time. I visited a total of 64 ancient mosques across 7 countries and 2 provinces. See '64 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2019'.

At the start of 2020, I went to Urumqi for the Spring Festival holiday and visited the Shaanxi Old Quarter mosque. Later, I was almost locked down and unable to return to Beijing. I worked from home during the first half of the year. Once restrictions were lifted in early July, we spent a weekend visiting the Hongshuiquan Grand Mosque in Qinghai. In August, we took our honeymoon and visited 18 ancient mosques in Yunnan and Sichuan. During the National Day holiday, we traveled upstream along the Han River and visited 3 ancient mosques in southern Shaanxi. In total, I visited 23 ancient mosques across 5 provinces in 2020. See '23 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2020'.

In January 2021, mosques in Beijing were closed. In mid-March, travel restrictions were lifted, so I rushed to visit ancient mosques in Henan, Jiangsu, Hebei, Xinjiang, Liaoning, Shanxi, Tianjin, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. By July, travel out of Beijing was restricted again. During the National Day holiday, there were no new cases nationwide, so we went on a road trip to Yunnan to visit ancient mosques. After the holiday, I could not leave Beijing again. In 2021, with less than half a year of actual freedom, I visited 47 ancient mosques across 11 provinces and cities. See '47 Ancient Mosques Visited in 2021'.

2022 was the most difficult year, as I was unable to leave Beijing for the entire year. That year, I visited some ruins of former ancient mosques in Beijing and some mosques I had never been to before, totaling 25 ancient mosques for the year. See "Visiting 25 Ancient Mosques in Beijing in 2022."

Travel restrictions within Beijing were lifted in early 2023, and international travel restrictions were lifted in May. This year saw an explosion of travel, covering 11 provinces and cities, 6 countries, and three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—for a total of 124 ancient mosques. See "Visiting 124 Ancient Mosques in 2023."

Life gradually returned to normal in 2024, and the number of ancient mosques I visited dropped due to work changes and spending time with my children. This year I went to 6 provinces and 3 countries, visiting 63 ancient mosques. I visited Malaysia three times, touring 24 ancient mosques, which covers almost all the ancient mosques in Malaysia. See "Visiting 63 Ancient Mosques in 2024."

February: 1 in Hebei.

Shanhaiguan Mosque: Located outside the west gate of Shanhaiguan city. According to the Kangxi-era "Shanhaiguan Gazetteer," in the first month of 1381 (the 14th year of the Hongwu reign), "General Xu Da sent 15,100 soldiers from the Yanshan Guard to build 32 passes, including Yongping and Jieling." According to the "Veritable Records of the Ming Emperor Taizu," in September of the same year, the "Beiping Shanhaiguan Guard Command" was established, marking the beginning of Shanhaiguan. People say the Shanhaiguan Mosque was built by Muslim officers and soldiers under Xu Da.



February: 24 in India.

Delhi Qutb Mosque: This is the first mosque in Delhi, started in 1193. After the Ghurid dynasty general Qutb occupied Delhi, many building components from Hindu and Jain temples were reused.



Delhi Jamaat Khana Mosque: Located at the heart of the Sufi holy site of Nizamuddin, it is likely the second mosque in Delhi after the Qutb Mosque, with an architectural style very close to the Khalji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.



Delhi Tohfe Wala Gumbad Mosque: In 1303, the Chagatai Khanate besieged the military fortress of Siri in Delhi for two months but could not break the city and eventually retreated. After this, Sultan Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate's Khalji dynasty began to focus on building up Siri, which included the Tohfe Wala Gumbad Mosque. This mosque is very different from other buildings constructed during the Alauddin period, but some of its wall structures have the characteristics of Khalji dynasty architecture.



Delhi Begampur Mosque: This is the most important mosque in the city of Jahanpanah in Delhi and the most representative mosque of the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate that still exists today. It is said to have been designed by the Iranian architect Zahir al-Din al-Jayush. The building is very grand but relatively simple, with only a small amount of carving inside the main hall.



Delhi Feroz Shah Kotla Mosque: Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty built the fifth city of Delhi, Ferozabad, in 1354. The mosque is the main building in the fortress and has a typical Tughlaq dynasty style. Some scholars believe that the great emperor Timur prayed here in 1398 and later built a mosque of the same design in Samarkand.



Delhi Khirki Mosque: Another important mosque in the city of Jahanpanah, besides the Begampur Mosque. This building looks very different from the Begumpur mosque, but it is almost certainly one of the seven mosques built by Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul, the prime minister to Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq, and was likely built in the 1370s.



Delhi Kali Mosque: This is also one of the seven mosques built by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq's prime minister, Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul, and it stands near the Sufi shrine of Nizamuddin. This mosque and the Khirki Mosque are very similar in design and construction date, and both were once abandoned. The difference is that this mosque returned to use in the early 20th century, with some changes made to its original design.



Delhi Kalan Mosque: This is the northernmost of the seven mosques built by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq's prime minister, Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul. It is thought to have been built to honor a Sufi saint, and it has been in use ever since.



Delhi Bara Bumbad Mosque: Located inside Lodi Gardens, the inscriptions carved inside show it was built on November 30, 1494, by a man named Mughal Abdu Amjad. The mosque features very intricate carvings, which are a great example of the lime plaster and stone-cutting techniques used for decoration during the Lodi dynasty.



Delhi Madhi Mosque: Found in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park in Delhi, its exact construction date is unknown, but its design clearly shows the Lodi dynasty style. The main hall of this mosque is open-air and consists only of a qibla wall. There are many other mosques in Delhi made of just one wall, but this one is the largest.



Delhi Nili Mosque: Located between the city of Siri and the Hauz Khas reservoir area, this is a Lodi-era mosque that is still in use.



Delhi Rajon ki Baoli Mosque: Located in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, it features what is considered the most beautiful stepwell (baoli) in Delhi, said to have been built by Daulat Khan Khwaja Muhammad in 1506 during the reign of Sultan Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517).



Delhi Muhammad Wali Mosque: Situated right next to the northwest wall of the city of Siri, it features a typical Lodi dynasty style.



Delhi Jamali Kamali Mosque: Located in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, this is a tomb-mosque for two men, Jamali and Kamali. Jamali, whose full name was Jamali Kamboh, was a famous 16th-century Persian poet and Sufi saint in India who was highly regarded by the Mughal emperors Babur and Humayun.



Delhi Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque: Located inside the Old Fort (Purana Qila), which was the sixth city of Delhi. After Sher Shah Suri, the ruler of the Suri dynasty, defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun and took Delhi in 1540, he used the Old Fort as his royal court and built this royal mosque in 1541.



Delhi Salimgarh Fort Mosque: Located north of the Red Fort, it was built in 1546 by Salim Shah Suri (reigned 1545-1554), the son of the Suri dynasty ruler Sher Shah Suri.



Delhi Isa Khan Mosque: Located within the Humayun's Tomb complex, this is a tomb-mosque for the Pashtun noble Isa Khan of the Suri dynasty.



Delhi Khairul Manazil Mosque: Located across from the Purana Qila fort, it was commissioned in 1561 by Maham Anga, the chief nurse to the Mughal Emperor Akbar and the actual power behind the throne from 1560 to 1562.



Delhi Afsarwala Mosque: Located southwest of Humayun's Tomb, it was built between 1566 and 1567 as a tomb-mosque for an official in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.



Delhi Jama Mosque: Located in Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi), the seventh city of Delhi, it once served as the main Friday mosque for the Mughal Empire. The Jama Mosque was built between 1650 and 1656 by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), who also built the Taj Mahal.



Fatehpuri Mosque in Delhi: Located in the northwest of Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad), directly facing the Red Fort, it was built in 1650 by Fatehpuri Begum, the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.



Pearl Mosque (Moti Masjid) in Delhi: Located inside the Delhi Red Fort, it was built in 1659 by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (reigned 1658-1707) to serve as a private mosque for the royal family.



Sunehri Mosque in Delhi: Located in the eastern part of Old Delhi's Shahjahanabad, it was built in 1751 by order of Qudsia Begum.



Safdarjung Mosque in Delhi: Located west of Lodi Gardens, this is the mosque attached to the tomb of Safdarjung. Safdarjung became the Prime Minister of the Mughal Empire in 1748 and was the actual ruler of the Mughal dynasty. The Safdarjung Tomb and its mosque are known as the last major architectural works of the Mughal dynasty and serve as a symbol of the dynasty's decline.



February: 1 mosque in Vietnam.

Saigon Central Mosque: Built by South Indian Tamils in 1935, it is the most important mosque in Saigon. After Vietnam was unified in 1975, the religious community in Saigon faced a huge shock, with many believers imprisoned or fleeing abroad. Religious life in Vietnam only slowly recovered after 1986. Today, besides the local Cham people, merchants and tourists from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan all come here.



April: 3 mosques in Xinjiang.

Yarkant Azna Mosque in Shache: Built during the reign of Abu Bakr in Yarkant (1465-1514), it has not been rebuilt by later generations and still preserves its original appearance, making it very precious. Its design is very similar to the 14th and 15th-century Bibi-Khanym Mosque of the Timurid Empire and the Begampur Mosque of the Delhi Sultanate, though it is smaller in scale.



Shache Jiaman Mosque: It is said to have been started by Sultan Said Khan, the founder of the Yarkant Khanate, and later expanded during the time of Abdullah Khan (reigned 1638–1669).



Shache Altun Mosque: Built in 1533 during the Yarkant Khanate period, its current appearance dates from renovations and expansions in 1735.



May: 2 mosques in Tibet.

Lhasa Kache Lingka Mosque: Among the two mosques currently at Kache Lingka, one is the only traditional Tibetan-style mosque in Lhasa today. A plaque on the door reads: 'This mosque was first built in 1775, has undergone four repairs over its long history, and completed its last repair in 2008.' The facade of the other mosque has been rebuilt in an Arab style, and a plaque at the entrance reads: 'This mosque was first built in 1655 AD, has undergone many repairs over its long history, and completed its last repair in 2000 AD.'





June: 1 mosque in Tianjin.

Northwest Corner South Mosque: It is one of the few remaining historical sites in the Northwest Corner and is currently the center of the local Hui Muslim community. It was built during the Guangxu reign and completed during the Xuantong reign.



June: 5 mosques in the UAE.

Dubai Nasser bin Obaid bin Lootah Mosque: Lootah is a famous merchant family in the UAE, and this family first came to Dubai from Liwa to settle in Al Ras. At that time, Al Ras had no residents and was just a place for grazing camels. Later, other members of this family also came to settle in Al Ras, including Obaid bin Lootah. In 1910, Obaid bin Lootah's son, Nasser, built this mosque.



Almulla Mosque in Dubai: It follows the traditional Gulf style and has no minaret or dome.



Obeid Bin Issa Mosque in Sharjah: This is the oldest mosque in Sharjah. It is a rammed-earth building from the 19th century, and there is a palm-frond shelter in front of the ablution area. The main prayer hall has wooden pillars. The mihrab is plain with no decorations, and the minbar pulpit next to it is also set inside a niche.



Al-Daleel Mosque in Sharjah: A historic mosque that also features a palm-frond shelter in front of the main hall. To make a traditional palm ceiling, palm fibers are first washed and dried, then twisted into twine and tied onto trimmed palm branches. Next, palm leaves are washed and dried, woven into large mats, and finally laid together to form the ceiling.



Al Jame'i Mosque in Sharjah: This is the Friday mosque of Sharjah's old town. Its low, flat-roofed style is very similar to traditional architecture in Turpan, as both were designed for hot and dry climates.



July, Jiangsu

Caoqiao Mosque in Nanjing: In 2003, Caoqiao Mosque and Taiping Road Mosque were demolished. The main hall and second hall components of Taiping Road Mosque were rebuilt at a new site, and the project was completed in 2005. Caoqiao Mosque was first built during the Qianlong reign, destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, and rebuilt in the early years of the Tongzhi reign. Taiping Road Mosque was originally called Huapailou Mosque. Legend says it was built by Chang Yuchun in the early Ming Dynasty. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, later rebuilt, and reconstructed again in 1924 with donations from the brothers of Nanjing businessman Jiang Guobang.



Jingjue Mosque: First built in 1388 (the 21st year of the Hongwu reign), it was burned down in 1430 (the 5th year of the Xuande reign) and rebuilt after Zheng He petitioned for its restoration. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, and its components were moved to the Prince's Mansion. It was rebuilt in 1877 (the 3rd year of the Guangxu reign) and renovated in 1879 (the 5th year of the Guangxu reign) to form its current layout.



July, Liaoning, 1 mosque

Suizhong Mosque: Starting in the 18th century, more than ten families of Hui Muslims, including the Zhang, Ding, Li, and Jin families, moved to Suizhong from Hebei Province. In 1737 (the 2nd year of the Qianlong reign), the first mosque was built below the Kueixing Tower in the southeast of Suizhong city. In 1797 (the 3rd year of the Jiaqing reign), it was moved to its current location inside the West Gate.



August, Beijing, 2 mosques

Dongsi Mosque: The most worth-seeing part of Dongsi Mosque is the main hall built in 1447. The rear hall looks like a Chinese-style beamless hall from the outside, but inside it actually contains three brick domes. This is another way Chinese mosques localized the dome in the 15th century, following the example of the Phoenix Mosque in Hangzhou, where the dome was converted into a wooden pavilion during the Yuan Dynasty.



Huashi Mosque: First built in 1414 (the 12th year of the Ming Wanli reign), it is said to have been the residence of Chang Yuchun. It was renovated in the 41st year of the Kangxi reign and again during the Qianlong reign.



September, Shanxi, 1 mosque

Taiyuan Mosque: Located inside the South Gate on Beef Alley (Niurou Xiang). The main prayer hall and the Shengxin Tower (call to prayer tower, or bangkelou) are Ming Dynasty structures. This matches the time when Taiyuan city took its final shape and Hui Muslims officially settled in the city.



14 sites in Azerbaijan in September

Baku Palace Mosque: Built between 1441 and 1442 by order of the Shirvanshah king, Khalilullah I. In 1723, the army of Tsar Peter I shelled Baku from the Caspian Sea, damaging the northeast facade. The minaret was hit by artillery fire in 1918. The main prayer hall is very small and is generally used only by people from the palace or the immediate neighborhood.



Muhammad Mosque: Built in 1078-1079, it is the oldest surviving religious building in Azerbaijan. According to the Kufic Arabic inscription on the north wall, the mosque was built by Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. Research shows the mosque was built on the site of a Zoroastrian fire mosque, and Muhammad was the mayor of Baku at the time.



Takyeh Mosque: A 13th-century Sufi mosque that served as a place for Sufi practitioners to study and rest.



Khidir Mosque: Built in 1301. Archaeological excavations in 1988 revealed that this mosque was built on the site of a Zoroastrian mosque.



Mirza Ahmad Mosque: Built in 1345. The wall at the entrance is carved with scripture and the architect's name. It is currently closed due to its dilapidated state.



Chin Mosque: Stone carvings at the top of the entrance show it was built between 1375 and 1376, with repairs made between 1772 and 1773.



Molla Ahmad Mosque: Built in the early 14th century by the famous architect Mahmud ibn Sad of the Shirvan-Absheron school. It is a typical example of a small community mosque from the Shirvanshah dynasty.



Sheikh Ibrahim Mosque: Built by Haji Amirshah ibn Yagub between 1415 and 1416. Baku was ruled at the time by the 33rd Shirvanshah king, Ibrahim I (reigned 1382-1417), which is why it is also called the Sheikh Ibrahim Mosque. In the 19th century, the mosque's facade was divided into three sections and windows were added.



Juma Mosque: The main mosque in Baku's Old City. Inscriptions on the mosque walls show that Amir Sharaf al-Din Mahmud renovated it in 1309. The current main prayer hall was funded by Baku merchant Haji Shikhlali Dadashov in 1899, blending traditional styles with European architecture.



Sayyid Yahya Murtuza Mosque: Built in the early 17th century by Sayyid Yahya Murtuza himself. He was a famous local imam and was buried here after his passing. During the Soviet era, it became a carpenter's workshop. Religious activities resumed in the 1990s, and it is now affiliated with the Juma Mosque.



Haji Bani Mosque: Built in the 16th century by the architect Haji Bani. A women's prayer hall and windows were added during renovations in 1902-1903.



Baba Kuhi Bakuvi Mosque: Located north of the Maiden Tower and thought to date back to the 9th or 10th century. Archaeologist Farhad Ibrahimov excavated the site between 1990 and 1993, and the mihrab niche was unearthed in 1998.



Haji Heybat Mosque: Built in 1791 by the architect Haji Heybat Amir Ali oghlu. It is a small community mosque.



Məktəb Mosque: Built between 1646 and 1647, it sits right next to the Maiden Tower.



38 mosques in Turkey in October.

Konya Iplikci Mosque: Ordered in 1201 by the Seljuk vizier Shams al-Din Altun Aba, it was built by the architect Abu al-Fazi Abd al-Jabbar from Tabriz, Iran. This is key evidence of Persian craftsmen directly influencing Seljuk architecture. This building went through a series of renovations during the Karamanid dynasty, the Ottoman Empire, and modern times. Today, the original mosaic tiles on the mihrab inside the hall have been replaced by marble, but the parts at the bottom covered by carpets are still original pieces from the Seljuk period.



Konya Alaeddin Mosque: It was rebuilt on top of a Christian church shortly after the Seljuks occupied Konya in the late 11th century, and many of its components were taken directly from nearby Byzantine buildings. The earliest surviving inscription dates back to the reign of the Seljuk Sultan of Rum, Mesud I (reigned 1116–1156). The mosque's ebony minbar has an inscription from 1155, and the tiles on the mosque's mihrab and dome should have been built in the same period.



Konya Sahib Ata Mosque: Built by Sahib Ata Fahreddin Ali, the architect was Keluk bin Abdullah. Sahib Ata was a key official in the court of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum from the 1250s until his death in 1288, and he even held great power in the sultanate after 1277.



Bursa Orhan Mosque: This was the first mosque in Bursa. It was built in 1339 by the second Ottoman ruler, Orhan (reigned 1324-1362). It was burned by the Karamanid dynasty in 1413, rebuilt by Sultan Mehmed I (reigned 1379-1421) in 1417, and repaired again after being damaged by an earthquake in 1855.



Bursa Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami): This is the largest mosque in Bursa and the largest of the multi-domed Ottoman mosques. This mosque consists of 20 domes and two minarets and is known as a masterpiece of early Ottoman architecture. It was built between 1396 and 1399 by the fourth Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid I (reigned 1389-1402), to celebrate the famous Battle of Nicopolis. The architect is said to be Ali Neccar.



Bursa Hüdavendigar Mosque: Also called the Murad I Mosque, it was built by Sultan Murad I between 1363 and 1366. It is a classic early Ottoman T-shaped mosque. Its biggest feature is that the madrasa is located on the floor above the prayer hall. Because many Byzantine craftsmen participated in its construction, the mosque features Byzantine-style brickwork and column capitals. At the same time, this is the only Ottoman mosque with two porches.



Bursa Lightning Mosque (Yıldırım Bayezid Mosque): Also called the Lightning Bayezid Mosque, it was ordered by Sultan Bayezid I between 1390 and 1395. It underwent major repairs after the 1855 earthquake. It is the only early Ottoman mosque in Bursa built entirely of stone, without using any bricks. the Lightning Mosque is the first mosque to feature a Bursa arch structure. This flat arch is located between the main hall and the gate, supporting two large domes.



Bursa Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami): Also called the Mehmed I Mosque, it was built by Sultan Mehmed I between 1414 and 1419. It is a masterpiece by the famous early 15th-century Ottoman architect İvaz Pasha. The stone carvings on the gate are considered the pinnacle of early Ottoman architecture. Due to the death of Mehmed I, the narthex of the mosque was never finished.



Bursa Muradiye Mosque: Also called the Murad II Mosque, it was built by Sultan Murad II between 1425 and 1426. The mosque is an early Ottoman T-shaped mosque. The main hall has two domes, and each wing has a small dome. The interior of the mosque is decorated with blue-green and dark blue hexagonal tiles.



Edirne Old Mosque (Eski Cami): In 1413, Prince Mehmed was crowned Sultan Mehmed I in Edirne, and he officially completed the construction of this mosque the following year. This mosque is the oldest one still standing in Edirne, so it is called the Old Mosque (Eski Cami). The Old Mosque is one of the last multi-domed mosques to use the early Ottoman Seljuk style, featuring nine central domes in total. Compared to earlier Seljuk multi-domed mosques, the domes here have a noticeably larger diameter, showing that the Ottomans were starting to move past their early phase.



Edirne Muradiye Mosque: This is a small T-shaped mosque on a hill north of Edirne, built in 1436 by order of the sixth Ottoman Sultan, Murad II (reigned 1421-1444). This site was originally part of a Sufi Mevlevi complex before it was converted into a mosque.



Edirne Three-Balcony Mosque (Üç Şerefeli Camii): This is known as a major landmark that started a new era in Ottoman architecture, being the first Ottoman mosque with a central dome and the first to feature a courtyard. The mosque was started in 1438 by the sixth Ottoman Sultan, Murad II (reigned 1421-1444), and finished in 1447.



Edirne Kasım Paşa Mosque: This was built in 1479 by order of Kasım Paşa. Kasım Paşa was a famous Ottoman general who served as the commander of Rumelia, the European part of the Ottoman Empire. The mosque closed after 1950 due to the construction of a dam, and it has been damaged by floods ever since, making it the most wild and untamed early Ottoman mosque in Edirne.



Edirne Sultan Bayezid II Mosque: Located on the north bank of the Tunca River (Sadun River) in the northwest suburbs of Edirne, it was built by order of the eighth Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid II (reigned 1481-1512).



Istanbul Atik Ali Pasha Mosque: Built in 1496 by Atik Ali Pasha, the Grand Vizier to Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, it is located south of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.



Istanbul Selim I Mosque: Built in 1520 by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to honor his father, Sultan Selim I (reigned 1512-1520), and completed in 1527, it is the third imperial mosque built by the Ottoman dynasty in Istanbul.



Istanbul Mihrimah Sultan Mosque: Built between 1543 and 1548, it is one of the most famous landmarks in the Üsküdar district and the second complex by Mimar Sinan still standing in Istanbul. It is the first semi-domed mosque designed by Mimar Sinan.



Istanbul Prince Mosque (Şehzade Mosque): Located on the third hill of Istanbul's old city and built between 1543 and 1548, it is considered Mimar Sinan's most important early work and his first masterpiece. It is the second semi-domed mosque designed by Mimar Sinan, consisting of one main dome and four semi-domes. This was both an improvement on Sinan's previous work, the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque with its three semi-domes, and a new interpretation of earlier designs like the Fatih Mosque (1471) and the Bayezid II Mosque (1506). This design separates the four pillars supporting the central dome, creating a more stunning visual effect.



Istanbul Hadım Ibrahim Pasha Mosque: Built in 1551, it was commissioned by the Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, known as the Eunuch (Hadım), and built by Mimar Sinan. It belongs to the first phase of Mimar Sinan's single-dome mosque designs. In this phase, Sinan used eight buttresses to support the main dome, a design that also foreshadowed his next phase of octagonal dome structures.



Istanbul Sinan Pasha Mosque: Completed in 1555 and commissioned by Sinan Pasha, it is Mimar Sinan's reinterpretation of the famous Three-Balcony Mosque (Üç Şerefeli Camii) in Edirne, and is therefore known as the smaller version of the Three-Balcony Mosque.



Istanbul Süleymaniye Mosque: Commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and built by Mimar Sinan, it sits on the third hill of Istanbul and is a key part of the old city's skyline. Construction took seven years from 1550 to 1557, though it was not officially finished until 1558. This is the largest square-based, semi-domed mosque in the career of architect Mimar Sinan, with a main dome 53 meters high, which was the tallest in the Ottoman Empire at the time.



Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Istanbul: Commissioned by Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and his wife İsmihan Sultan, it was built by Mimar Sinan between 1567 and 1572 and is famous for its beautiful Iznik tiles inside.



Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul: Built by Mimar Sinan between 1563 and 1570, commissioned by Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Suleiman the Magnificent. The complex sits on the sixth hill inside the northwest walls of Istanbul, which is the highest point of the old city. The structure of the mosque is considered the most advanced type of single-dome mosque from that period. The 35-meter-high dome is supported by four piers, with four arches and four pendentives forming a tower-like structure. Four polygonal piers protrude on the outside but are almost invisible from the inside, creating a shape like a neatly cut crystal.



Kara Ahmed Pasha Mosque in Istanbul: Commissioned by Kara Ahmed Pasha and built by Mimar Sinan, it was finally completed in 1572. It is the last imperial building in Istanbul to use dry cord (cuerda seca) tiles for decoration.



Mimar Sinan Mosque in Istanbul: Built by Mimar Sinan for himself in 1573, it was destroyed by fire in 1918, and soon after the walls collapsed, leaving only a 10-meter-high minaret.



Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Istanbul: Commissioned in 1578 by Ottoman Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (in office 1565-1579) and built by Mimar Sinan, Sinan continued the octagonal support system he used in his masterpiece, the Selimiye Mosque, and added a small dome at each corner. Additionally, the front porch of the mosque is completely enclosed and connected to the main hall, which is very unique among Sinan's works.



Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque in Istanbul: Commissioned by Ottoman Admiral Kılıç Ali Pasha and built by Mimar Sinan between 1578 and 1580. The mosque has a central area surrounded by galleries on three sides, with the center and side areas separated, which is very similar to the structure of the Hagia Sophia and different from other classic Ottoman mosque architecture of the same period.



Şemsi Pasha Mosque in Istanbul: Built in 1581 by Mimar Sinan for the Ottoman Grand Vizier (Vezir-i Azam) Şemsi Pasha, it is the smallest complex Sinan ever built and is a famous example in Istanbul of how human architecture can blend perfectly with the natural landscape. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part follows a visit to the Great Mosque of Kairouan for Jumu'ah in one of Tunisia's most important Islamic cities. It keeps the original prayer experience, mosque history, photographs, and travel details for readers interested in Muslim heritage in North Africa.

On Friday, we left from the Louage station south of Sousse and reached Kairouan, the most important ancient city in Tunisia, in just one hour. The Louage station in Kairouan is on the west side of the city, but you can ask the driver to drop you off right at the gate of the Great Mosque of Kairouan.

When we arrived at the Great Mosque at twelve o'clock, it was already closed. A young man at the gate told us that other mosques in Kairouan hold Jumu'ah prayer at one o'clock, but only the Great Mosque holds it at three, so he suggested we come back later.

We used this time to look at the exterior of the mosque. The Great Mosque of Kairouan is the oldest and most spectacular Jumu'ah mosque in Tunisia. It was first built in 670 by order of Uqba ibn Nafi, a general of the Arab Umayyad Caliphate. It was destroyed by Christian Berbers in 690 and rebuilt by the Umayyad Caliphate in 703. As the Arab population in Tunisia grew, the number of Muslims in Kairouan increased. The Great Mosque was rebuilt and renovated many times between 724-728, 774, 836, 862-863, and 875, finally taking its current form in the 9th century.

The Great Mosque is a huge, irregular quadrilateral with a perimeter of 405 meters, looking like a fortress from the outside. The outer walls are 1.9 meters thick and built from stone, rubble, and bricks. Because the ground is quite soft, many buttresses were built on the outer walls to increase stability.

The Great Mosque has nine gates, some of which have porches and spiral-shaped domes. Bab Lalla Rihana on the southeast side was built in 1293 during the Hafsid dynasty. It features a horseshoe arch and ancient stone columns that blend perfectly with the 9th-century walls.



















While waiting for Jumu'ah, we had lunch at El Brija Restaurant, located on the city wall next to the Great Mosque. The atmosphere and service were both good, and they serve traditional Tunisian food. I recommend eating here when visiting the Great Mosque.

We ordered a traditional appetizer platter and a mixed couscous stew. When eating at a proper restaurant in Tunisia, you really only need to order the main course, as most places provide side dishes and bread.

Our appetizer platter included Tunisian salad, Houria carrot salad, and Mechouia green pepper salad. We ate these three dishes almost every day in Tunisia. Tunisian salad is made of diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions mixed with olive oil, topped with boiled eggs and tuna. Mechouia salad contains green peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and more. Tunisians love it, and it is rich in vitamins and very healthy. The couscous stew was very rich, containing lamb, Merguez sausage, chicken, beef, dried fruits, and preserved fruits. The Merguez sausage is seasoned with cumin and chili, making it very flavorful.

After the meal, we were served mint tea and Makroudh dessert. Makroudh is a classic North African Maghreb snack for breaking the fast. It is made of semolina on the outside, filled with date paste and dried fruits, then baked and soaked in syrup.



















We returned to the Great Mosque after two o'clock, and people were already entering the prayer hall. Once inside the courtyard, the first thing you see is the oldest minaret (bangke ta) still in existence today. The minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan was built between the 8th and 9th centuries. The current structure mostly dates back to 836. It is one of the three most important early minarets, alongside the spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, built between 848 and 852, and the spiral minaret of the Abu Dulaf Mosque in Iraq, built in 859. These three served as models for later minarets across Andalusia and the Maghreb.

There were no minarets during the time of the Prophet and the four Caliphs. People called for prayer (adhan) from the mosque entrance or the roof. Platforms for calling the adhan appeared during the Umayyad dynasty in the 7th century, but true minarets did not emerge until the Abbasid dynasty in the 8th century. There is no final conclusion on the origin of the minaret. Some say it mimics the towers of Syrian churches, while others suggest it was inspired by the Lighthouse of Alexandria or Mesopotamian ziggurats. Four towers were built during the reconstruction of the Sacred Mosque in Mecca in the late 8th century, but they have not survived. The earliest surviving minarets are the one at the Great Mosque of Kairouan and the two in Iraq. The Bride's Minaret at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus may also date to the 9th century, but there is no clear record of this.

The minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is 31.5 meters tall. Its base dates back to the Umayyad period in 725, and you can see Latin inscriptions from the Roman era on the walls. The first and second levels of the minaret were built in 836 using carefully cut stone. The side facing the courtyard has windows, while the other three sides have arrow slits. The third level of the minaret is a four-arched structure (chahartaq), which was likely added later.













Three sides of the Great Mosque are surrounded by double-row horseshoe-shaped arcades. The columns come from various ancient Roman and Byzantine ruins, including some from the famous site of Carthage.

There is a dome above the main entrance of the prayer hall and another above the mihrab. These domes, built in 836, are important examples of early mosque domes.

The prayer hall connects to the arcades through 17 carved wooden doors. The most beautiful one in the center was built in 1828 and features rich geometric and floral patterns.



















The mihrab of the Great Mosque is 5.1 meters high. It was built in 863 and is the oldest concave mihrab in the world. The main body of the mihrab is a horseshoe arch supported by two red marble columns. The columns have Byzantine-style capitals with very fine carvings.

The upper part of the mihrab features 139 iridescent ceramic tiles fired in the second half of the 9th century. This metallic-lustre glazed pottery originated in Abbasid-ruled Iraq and was traded throughout West Asia and North Africa. It is not yet certain whether the iridescent tiles of the Great Mosque of Kairouan were fired in Iraq or if Iraqi craftsmen were invited to Kairouan to make them.

The concave center of the upper part is made of painted wood, featuring complex vine patterns in yellow on a blue background. The lower part is inlaid with 28 white marble slabs carved with complex floral and geometric patterns, including stylized grape leaves, flowers, and shells.



















Next to the mihrab are the pulpit (minbar) for the Friday sermon and the enclosure (maqsurah) used by kings and nobles.

The minbar of the Great Mosque of Kairouan was also built in 863 and is the oldest surviving minbar in the world. The minbar is made of teak imported from India and is assembled from over 300 wooden panels carved with floral and geometric patterns. Although it was restored in the early 20th century, all but nine of the wooden panels are original pieces from over a thousand years ago. Today, the sides of the minbar are protected by glass, making it difficult to take photos due to the reflection.

The maksura at the Great Mosque of Kairouan was built in the first half of the 11th century. It is the oldest maksura in the world still in use. The maksura at the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain was built in 965, but it is no longer used today. The maksura is made of cedar and is 14 meters long. It is carved with ornate Kufic calligraphy and floral patterns, representing the highest achievement in Tunisian carving art at that time.

The maksura originated during the time of Caliph Uthman in the mid-7th century. After Caliph Umar was assassinated inside the prayer hall, Uthman built a partition wall inside the hall to protect himself. Later, mosques where the Caliph resided would all have a maksura built inside.



















The prayer hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is 70.6 meters wide and 37.5 meters deep. It consists of 17 aisles, with the aisle directly facing the mihrab being the tallest and widest. This layout was later adopted by major mosques across the Maghreb and Andalusia.

There are 414 stone columns inside the prayer hall. They are made of marble, granite, and porphyry, with capitals in styles including Corinthian, Ionic, and Composite. Some capitals were carved specifically for the prayer hall, while many others came from ancient Roman, Phoenician, and Byzantine sites in Tunisia, including the famous ancient city of Carthage.















The door inside the prayer hall's maksura is decorated with marble floral carvings. This door leads to the library behind the qibla wall, which is also where the imam usually stays. The imam only comes out from here to lead the prayer and deliver the khutbah.





The grand scene of Jumu'ah at the Great Mosque of Kairouan. After the adhan is finished, the imam slowly walks up the minbar to begin the khutbah. In Arabic-speaking regions, everyone understands the khutbah, so there is no sermon session beforehand.

Tunisia follows the Maliki school of thought. Their namaz movements are quite similar to our Hanafi school, including the initial takbir, but the main difference is that they also fold their arms when making intention.

After the prayer, we stood for janazah outside the prayer hall door. Because Jumu'ah was at three o'clock, we immediately returned to the prayer hall to perform Dhuhr after finishing.

From the 9th to the 11th century, the Great Mosque of Kairouan was the academic center for the entire Maghreb region and the Maliki school. to religious courses, it offered subjects like mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and botany. In 1045, the Zirid dynasty court in Kairouan announced its conversion to Sunni Islam. Upon hearing this, the Shi'a Fatimid dynasty in Egypt sent a group of Arab tribes to invade Kairouan. In 1057, these Arab tribes occupied and destroyed Kairouan. The Great Mosque of Kairouan declined from then on and did not slowly recover until after the 13th century.



















After leaving the Great Mosque of Kairouan, we started exploring the ancient medina of Kairouan. Besides the Great Mosque, the other ancient mosque remaining in Kairouan is the Mosque of the Three Doors (Masjid al-Thalathat Abwab), built in 866. This mosque has the oldest decorated facade of any religious building in the world.

Today, only the facade of the Mosque of the Three Doors retains its 9th-century appearance, while the minaret next to it was added in 1440. The gate of the Mosque of the Three Doors consists of three horseshoe arches and features four ancient stone columns. The arch is carved with floral patterns and Kufic calligraphy, which includes verses from the Quran and the name of the builder, Muhammad ibn Khairun. Muhammad ibn Khairun was a scholar and merchant from Andalusia who traveled through Iraq and Egypt to reach Kairouan, Tunisia. When the minaret was added in 1440, the original 9th-century inscriptions were rearranged to make room for the new text.



















In the northwest of the Kairouan Medina stands an important tomb for Sidi Sahib, a companion of the Prophet and his barber, which is why it is also called the Barber Mosque.

Legend says Sidi Sahib died in a battle in 654 and was buried here. By the 11th century, this place had become a famous holy site, and the tomb shrine (gongbei) was built in the 14th century. The Bey of Tunis, Hammuda Pasha (reigned 1631-66), expanded the tomb significantly in 1629 and built a new main hall. Another Bey, Mohamed (reigned 1675-96), built the minaret and a religious school (madrasa) between 1690 and 1695. Since the 19th century, the tomb of Sidi Sahib has undergone several renovations, but it still keeps its 17th-century architectural style.



















The tomb of Sidi Sahib in Kairouan blends Andalusian, Italian Renaissance, and local Kairouan architectural styles. The interior features many classic 17th-century Tunisian Qallalin tiles and rich plaster carvings.



















At the minaret, gate, and main hall of the Sidi Sahib tomb in Kairouan, an old man in the courtyard pours perfume into the hands of every visitor (dosti) who comes to pay their respects.













The Sidi Abid al-Ghariani school (madrasa) and shrine (zawiya) inside the Kairouan Medina were founded in the 14th century and expanded significantly in the 17th century. Abid al-Ghariani was a scholar, and his teacher, Al-Jadidi, was a famous judge in Kairouan. Al-Jadidi passed away in 1384 while on the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. Abid al-Ghariani took over his teacher's role to continue teaching in Kairouan, and after he died in 1402, he was buried next to the school.

Besides Abid al-Ghariani, the Hafsid dynasty Caliph Moulay Hasan (reigned 1526-1543) is also buried here. In 1534, the famous pirate Barbarossa led a fleet to invade Tunisia. Moulay Hasan eventually took back Tunisia with the help of the Holy Roman Empire, but he had to sign a treaty to become a vassal of Spain. In 1542, while Moulay Hasan was traveling to Italy to collect weapons and ammunition, his son usurped the throne, and he was eventually exiled. He lived in Naples and Sicily for several years and later met with the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope, becoming the most well-known Arab monarch to Europeans of that era.































The city walls and gates of the Kairouan Medina.

Kairouan was founded in 670 by the Arab Umayyad general Uqba ibn Nafi, who chose the site to serve as a military base for the Arab conquest of Tunisia. Over the next hundred years, the Berbers launched wave after wave of uprisings against the Arabs. After surviving many attacks, Kairouan was finally captured by the Berbers in 745 and was not retaken until the end of the 8th century. view all

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Summary: This article covers the Kazakhstan National Museum collection exhibition at Tianjin Museum, with a close look at historical artifacts, steppe culture, and Central Asian heritage. It preserves the original exhibition details, object names, photographs, and cultural context for English readers.

From September 30, 2024, to February 12, 2025, the fifth floor of the Tianjin Museum is hosting an exhibition of historical artifacts from the National Museum of Kazakhstan. Overall, it is not very stunning and lacks any major, heavy-hitting artifacts. Of course, I did not see any particularly significant artifacts when I visited the National Museum of Kazakhstan in person either.







These are carved clay tiles from the 12th-century Karakhanid dynasty Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum in the ancient city of Taraz. The architectural style of this mausoleum follows the Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara and serves as an important example of Karakhanid architecture. Taraz grew into a wealthy city during the 9th-century Samanid dynasty, reached its peak during the 10th to 12th-century Karakhanid dynasty, and was destroyed by the Mongol army in 1220.



These are painted glazed tiles and glazed pottery shards from the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum, dating to the Timurid dynasty between 1389 and 1405. This mausoleum is a masterpiece of Timurid architecture and an important religious center in southern Kazakhstan. It was added to the World Heritage List in 2003.





These are glazed tile fragments unearthed from a mausoleum at the Zhaiyk ancient city site, dating to the 14th-century Golden Horde period. The Zhaiyk ancient city site was discovered by an archaeological team in 2001 and has since been fully excavated and studied. Inside the city, they found the remains of a Turkish bath with an underfloor heating system, and in the cemetery west of the city, they found a domed mausoleum decorated with colorful glazed tiles.



These are clay bricks unearthed from the Kyshkala ancient city site in the Syr Darya delta. Kyshkala was a wealthy ancient city during the Golden Horde period that produced a large number of clay bricks.







This is a Kimeshek, an embroidered head covering for married women from 19th-century southern Kazakhstan.





A Kimeshek with lace pendants.







A Kebeje, which is a wooden chest with bone inlays, dating from the 19th to the mid-20th century.







A Khan's robe (chapan) made of velvet, gold and silver thread, and appliqué from 18th to 19th-century northern Kazakhstan. After the 18th century, due to long-term conflicts with the Dzungar Khanate, the Kazakh Khanate split into the Senior, Middle, and Junior Juz, with each Juz having its own Khan. After the mid-19th century, the Kazakh Khanate was gradually controlled by the Russian Empire. Khan Kenesary Kasymov (reigned 1841–1847) was the last national hero to bravely resist Russia. After he died for his country in 1847, the Kazakh Khanate was declared fallen.









Traditional Kazakh clothing made by master designer Aizhan Abdubait. She comes from a family of tailors and is dedicated to making ethnic clothing. She has also restored the gold-thread embroidery technique that was gradually lost after the fall of the Kazakh Khanate in the 19th century. This is an embroidery technique that was used on the clothing of Khans and Sultans during the Kazakh Khanate era.











A 19th-century chest ornament.



A 20th-century belt.





An axe, a club, and a sheathed knife.



A 19th-century copper pot. view all

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Summary: This Singapore Muslim travel guide visits Sultan Mosque around Arab Street and Kampong Glam, covering the golden domes, Turkish halal restaurants nearby, the prayer hall, mihrab design, prayer time screens, humility reminders, and visible signs of daily worship.

The Sultan Mosque is a symbol of Singapore's multiculturalism, and this mosque is indispensable in tourist brochures. So I went here on the first day I landed in Singapore.

From the main road, you can see that the Sultan Mosque actually has two exaggeratedly large golden domes (Picture 4), one in front of the other and about the same size. There is a minaret on the left and right of the two large domes, a total of four.









Before I came here, I thought there was only one dome, because it couldn’t be clearly seen from the photos in the travel guide. Seeing it in person really matters.

The entrance to the mosque (Picture 6) is not on the side of the road, but in a pedestrian street called Arab Street. There are murals depicting Malay family life at the entrance (Picture 7). There are many Turkish halal restaurants on the street (Picture 8), as well as souvenir shops. You can buy a refrigerator magnet with two Singapore dollars (10 yuan).









As dusk approached, I found an Indonesian restaurant and ordered a portion of fish balls, a piece of fish, a portion of rice, and a bottle of herbal tea, which cost about fifty yuan in total (Picture 9). In Singapore, you have to put away your tableware and put it in the designated area after eating (Picture 10).





Picture 11 shows the front of the mosque, which is very similar to the back. When entering the prayer hall, you have to enter from the right side. The interior of the prayer hall is quite large and the ceiling is very good. The mihrab niche is also decorated with Malay-style mosaic and leaf patterns, which looks very distinctive (Figures 13 and 14).









The shape of minbar is relatively simple (Picture 15).



There is also a prayer space on the second floor (Figures 16 and 17).





In Singapore's prayer halls, you can often see a display screen, which loops through some notices, recent activities, prayer times, etc. (Figures 18 and 19). The English notices in Picture 19 explain the importance of humility in faith and advocate that believers should be humble.





When I left the prayer hall, I noticed that the paint on the handrail on the right hand side had been worn down by worshippers (Picture 20). view all

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Summary: This Muslim travel guide to Medina covers Umrah preparation, the Prophet Mosque, high-speed rail from Jeddah, Medina hotels, Al-Ghamama Mosque, Quba Mosque, Uhud, Qiblatayn Mosque, and other sacred Islamic sites.

Map of Sacred Sites in Medina is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: This year, I successfully took my family of three to complete the Umrah. My son, Fahim, is likely the youngest little Haji in the Beijing area ever, at less than two years old. The account keeps its focus on Mosque Travel, Islamic Heritage, Beijing while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

This year, I successfully took my family of three to complete the Umrah. My son, Fahim, is likely the youngest little Haji in the Beijing area ever, at less than two years old. However, for a minor, both the Hajj and Umrah only count as voluntary acts of worship. He will need to perform the Hajj again after he reaches adulthood to fulfill his religious obligation.

I will explain the Umrah process in detail in my Mecca travelogue. Saudi Arabia's current tourist visa includes an Umrah option. Just check that box under the travel destination section and apply for an e-visa at this website: https://visa.visitsaudi.com/.

The Saudi tourist e-visa is approved instantly. Once you pay, the visa is issued. It costs 488 Saudi Riyals, which is about 930 RMB. It is valid for one year, allows multiple entries, and you can stay for up to 90 days each time.

Before starting our Umrah, we arrived in Medina from Jeddah. Medina is where the Prophet Muhammad migrated and passed away. Praying one unit of namaz in the Prophet's Mosque is worth more than a thousand prayers in other mosques, and some say it is worth fifty thousand. Regardless of the exact number, it shows the importance of the Prophet's Mosque. Medina is perfect for peaceful worship. The temperature here is cooler than in Mecca. In December, there is a big difference between day and night temperatures, so you need to add or remove layers of clothing. Many pilgrims prepare for their Umrah in Medina and make their intention to enter the state of ihram there.



You need to buy tickets for the high-speed train from Jeddah to Medina on the official Saudi app called HHR Train. I suggest ordering a few days in advance because if you buy them at the station on the day of travel, you might not get a seat. We traveled in December, which is the coolest season in Saudi Arabia. It is about 20 degrees Celsius during the day and over 10 degrees at night. This is also when the most people perform Umrah, so hotels and train tickets are in high demand.



I bought a coffee on the train. I stood between the train cars because our seats were taken by a veiled Arab woman. She sat in our spots with a little girl. When my wife told her the seats were ours, she said the seat next to her was for a man and she did not want to sit next to one. She had not bought a ticket for her child, did not understand why I bought a ticket for a toddler like Fahim, and insisted on staying in our seats.

I did not want to argue. The trip from Jeddah to Medina takes about two hours, so I just walked to the area between the cars. A passing train attendant saw me and told me I could sit in any empty seat.

A taxi from the station to the hotel usually costs 100 Saudi Riyals. There were seven of us, so we hired an Arab driver. It happened to be Friday, the day of Jumu'ah. Our hotel was right across from the Prophet's Mosque. The roads around the mosque were restricted, so the driver wanted to drop us off halfway and have us walk. I checked the map and we were still 3 kilometers away. It was noon with the sun beating down, and we had elderly people and children with us, so walking was very difficult. I insisted that the driver take us to our destination. The driver looked frustrated, drove a long way around, and finally dropped us off in front of the hotel. Then he asked for an extra 50 Riyals. After some bargaining, we gave him 5 more.

The Prophet's Mosque.



Our hotel was just across the street from the Prophet's Mosque. We could see the mosque from our room window. We did not even rest; we dropped off our luggage and went straight to the mosque to pray.



The Prophet's Mosque is the second-largest mosque in the world, after the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. It has a building area of 82,000 square meters. Including the plaza, it can hold 530,000 people for prayer at the same time. If you are in the south plaza and want to walk to the north gate, it takes at least 15 minutes. I once tried to meet a friend after the Fajr prayer. We were on opposite sides, north and south, and after waiting for 20 minutes, we still could not find each other.



When you arrive at the holy sites, you see people of all skin colors from around the world gathered together. The number of pilgrims grows every year, which is why Saudi Arabia keeps expanding the holy sites. People who live there often feel the strength of the faith. Some visitors from China feel sad when they see few people in local mosques, thinking faith is fading, but that is only true in some places. Looking at the world as a whole, the number of people practicing the faith is increasing every year.









The large umbrellas in the mosque courtyard open during the day and close at night. Shade is very precious in Saudi Arabia, as it is hard to handle the intense sun otherwise.





There are many water stations around the courtyard that provide free drinking water for believers.



To visit the Garden of Paradise (Rawdah), you must download an app called Nusuk and book a time. This is where the Prophet once prayed. The Prophet said, 'Between my house and my pulpit is one of the gardens of Paradise.' It is a pity I could not get a reservation, but men and women visit separately, and it is easier for women to book than men.



Fortunately, you do not need a reservation for the Prophet's Tomb. You just need to line up and follow the crowd. The Prophet's Tomb is right under the green dome. The green dome of the mosque was originally the house of Aisha, where the Prophet passed away and was buried.



Believers carry their shoes in their hands and walk barefoot into the Prophet's Tomb. Everything is orderly, and people respectfully offer their salaams to the Prophet.



The Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar are also buried with the Prophet, and people offer their salaams to them as well.



The Prophet's Tomb is separated from the Garden of Paradise, and the Garden of Paradise is inside the railing. There is one empty space reserved in the tomb for when the Prophet Isa passes away. According to Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him), the Torah describes the characteristics of the Prophet and states that Isa ibn Maryam will be buried alongside him. Abu Mawdud said, 'Indeed, there is still a grave site inside the house.' [Jami at-Tirmidhi: 3696]



Screenshot from History of Medina









Stand behind the railing and say your salam toward the round hole. You do not need to speak loudly; just recite it silently. Do not linger so you can make it easier for the brothers (dosti) behind you, because there are really too many people.







When I came out of the Prophet's tomb, I saw believers crying. They stood where they were, unable to bear leaving.





Inside the Prophet's Mosque, there are copies of the Quran in many languages, including a Chinese version.



Because the Holy Mosque is so large, many people stay in place to recite the Quran after finishing their namaz for convenience. There is also Zamzam water (senshen quan) provided in the main hall, with separate areas for men and women.









The Prophet's Mosque is crowded 24 hours a day, and there are even more people at night than during the day.







I actually saw Chinese signs at the stalls by the south gate of the Holy Mosque.



The signs at the main entrance also display different languages in turns, and I managed to snap a photo of the Chinese one.













































The north plaza of the Holy Mosque is busier than the south plaza and has more shops. If you are looking for a place to stay, you might want to prioritize the area near the north gate.



Many historical sites are scattered around the Prophet's Mosque. Due to historical changes, many no longer exist and only remain in books. Some of these historical sites are introduced below.

Al-Ghamama Mosque



Al-Ghamama Mosque (Almusalla Mosque - ALGhamama) is located on the southwest square next to the Prophet's Mosque. The Prophet led the Eid prayer here in 631. This place is also called the Mosque of the Prayer Ground. It was built by Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, the eighth caliph of the Umayyad dynasty. The current building was constructed by Abdulmejid I of the Ottoman Empire and later renovated by the King of Saudi Arabia.















Abu Bakr As-Siddiq Mosque



Abu Bakr As-Siddiq Mosque is 40 meters away from Al-Ghamama Mosque. It is also the place where the Prophet led the Eid prayer in 631, and later Abu Bakr also prayed here. The current building was constructed by Mahmud Khan of the Ottoman Empire.







Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque



Located 133 meters next to Al-Ghamama Mosque, it was built in the 9th century of the Hijri calendar. The mosque and its surrounding area are currently under renovation and are not open.

Ali Mosque



It is 122 meters away from Al-Ghamama Mosque and north of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq Mosque. The Prophet once led the Eid prayer here, and a mosque was later built on this site. It is currently not open.

Mount Uhud and the Martyrs' Cemetery



The black rocky mountain in the distance is Mount Uhud. The small hill at the foot of the mountain is the site of the Battle of Uhud. Mount Uhud is about 4 kilometers away from the Prophet's Mosque.

In 625, more than 3,000 polytheists from Mecca launched a major attack on Medina. The Prophet consulted with his companions and decided to lead 1,000 men to Mount Uhud to meet the enemy. After arriving at Mount Uhud, the hypocrite Abdullah ibn Ubayy secretly led his 300 soldiers away. The Prophet led the remaining 700-plus men to defeat the 3,000 Meccan polytheists. The Prophet was injured in this battle, and Allah revealed verses 121-180 of Surah Al-Imran in the Quran at this location.



You can see many people standing on the hill to commemorate this event.



The Uhud Martyrs Cemetery is built next to the hill. It is surrounded by a wire fence, so you cannot walk inside. It is fine to look from a distance, as visiting the martyrs' graves is a sunnah.



Uhud Martyrs Mosque (Sayyid Al-Shuhada)



The Martyrs Mosque is on the east side of the cemetery. It is not a historical site, as it was built in 2017.





Mosque of the Two Qiblas (Masjid al-Qiblatayn)



This mosque is on Khalid ibn al-Walid Street. The Prophet once led the noon namaz here. After two rak'ahs, he received a revelation from Allah (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 144) to change the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to the Kaaba.





On the wall directly facing the mihrab, there is a commemorative marker for the Jerusalem direction.



Note that the prayer direction in this mosque is still toward the Kaaba, not both directions. The Jerusalem direction is in the opposite direction of the Kaaba.





Trench Battle Mosque Complex

The Battle of the Trench is also called the Battle of the Confederates. The Meccan polytheists fought a decisive battle against the Muslims of Medina. The companion Salman the Persian suggested digging a trench, and the Prophet accepted his advice. During this time, verses 9-25 of Surah Al-Ahzab and verse 26 of Surah Al-Imran were revealed. The trench started near the Mustarah Mosque and ended near Mount Sal, facing the Fath Mosque complex. It was 2.5 kilometers long, 3 meters deep, and 4 meters wide, but the historical trench has long been filled in.

The Fath (Seven) Mosque complex is part of the trench area. These mosques served as stations and lookout points during the battle. Each mosque is named after the companion who was stationed there, except for the Fath Mosque, which was built on the site of the dome the Prophet used. These mosques were built during the era of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz and were restored at different times. The mosques are:

1. Ali Mosque

2. Abu Bakr Mosque.

3. Salman the Persian Mosque

4. Al-Fath Mosque

5. Umar Mosque

6. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh Mosque

Ali Mosque



Abu Bakr Mosque

















Salman Mosque







Al-Fath Mosque







Quba Mosque



Quba Mosque is 3.2 kilometers from the Prophet's Mosque. This is the site of the first mosque built by the Prophet and his companions in Medina. 'A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in for prayer.' Verse 108 of the Repentance chapter in the Quran refers to Quba Mosque.



The Prophet said, 'Whoever performs wudu at home and then prays in Quba Mosque will receive the reward of an Umrah.' (Sunan Ibn Majah) People say those who live near Quba Mosque are blessed, as they can earn the reward of an Umrah just by performing namaz there.

Ring Well (Bir Aris)



Located on the west side of Quba Mosque, the Prophet once sat by this well with his legs dangling over it. Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman later came to see him and sat by the well as well, where the Prophet gave them the glad tidings of Paradise. (Sahih Muslim 2403)

The Prophet once wore a ring, which later passed to Abu Bakr, then to Umar, and finally to Uthman. Uthman accidentally dropped the ring into this well. The ring was engraved with the words, 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'

This well was filled in at the end of the 14th century of the Hijri calendar to widen the road, and only the circle shown in the photo remains as a marker.

Jumu'ah Mosque



While traveling to Medina on a Friday, the Prophet performed his first Jumu'ah prayer with the Banu Salim tribe. He later built a mosque on that spot, which is now known as Jumu'ah Mosque, located one kilometer from Quba Mosque.







Aris Well



Aris Well is located one kilometer northeast of Quba Mosque. The Prophet often drank water from here and requested that this well's water be used to wash his body after he passed away.







This well is usually open for a short time in the afternoon, but it is not guaranteed. If you are lucky, you can drink the water and use it to perform wudu for namaz.



King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran



On the way to the Fatah Mosque complex, we passed the King Fahd Glorious Qur'an Printing Complex. It opened in 1984 and has published translations of the Quran in forty languages. Every friend (dosti) visiting Medina can get a free copy of the Quran. You do not need an appointment; just join the line and follow the crowd.







As you follow the line, you first pass through a Quran display case showing the various holy books published by the printing complex. view all

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Summary: The Amman Citadel stands beside Anjar in Lebanon as one of the key sites for understanding Umayyad urban planning. This English version keeps the source's notes on the mosque, audience hall, palace area, Roman and Byzantine remains, and images.

The Amman Citadel, located in the heart of the old city of Amman, Jordan, holds the largest Umayyad urban ruins in the country. You need a ticket to enter the main gate of the Amman Citadel. It is open until 7:00 PM from Monday to Saturday, making it a perfect final stop for exploring the Umayyad palace.

The Amman Citadel has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, and the southern part of the site features ruins of a Roman temple and a Byzantine church. In the early 8th century, the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (reigned 724-743) built a massive urban complex in the northern part of the citadel, including a grand mosque, a market square, a domed hall, baths, a cistern, a palace, colonnaded streets, and many houses. The Amman Citadel stands alongside the ancient city of Anjar in Lebanon as one of the two most significant historical sites reflecting Umayyad urban planning.











The Umayyad Grand Mosque sits at the highest point of the Amman Citadel on a raised platform and is the largest surviving Umayyad mosque ruin in Jordan. The main hall is a 34-meter square supported by a series of columns. Its design is completely different from the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and looks more like the Apadana columned hall in Persepolis, Iran. the stucco carvings in the Umayyad Grand Mosque at the Amman Citadel feature a strong decorative style from the Iranian Sassanid Empire.



















The decorative patterns in each niche of the Grand Mosque are unique.











The north gate of the Grand Mosque faces the market (souq) square, which has rows of colonnaded shops on its east and west sides.













To the north of the market square is the reception hall, where the Umayyad governor met with delegations, tribal leaders, and foreign envoys, making it the largest Umayyad palace building in the Amman Citadel. The reception hall was built over existing Byzantine structures, so its axis differs from the Umayyad Grand Mosque and instead aligns with the orientation of the citadel hill.

The center of the reception hall is cross-shaped, with barrel vaults to the north and south and semi-domes to the east and west. It likely originally had a wooden dome, while the current dome is a later reconstruction. The interior of the hall is decorated with rich plant patterns, also in a strong Iranian Sassanid style.



















To the east of the reception hall are the baths and the cistern. You can enter the baths from the market on the south side through an arcade, or from the palace on the north side through a small alley. This alley has two doors and was once guarded by a security room inside the reception hall.

The bathhouse consists of a changing room (apodyterium), a cold room (frigidarium), a warm room (tepidarium), a hot room (caldarium), and a boiler. The changing room has a barrel-vaulted ceiling and a semi-dome, and it also includes a niche-style lounge. The changing room also served as a place for receiving guests, continuing the traditions of Roman bath etiquette. Umayyad caliphs used the baths as a diplomatic tool to communicate with various delegations.

Next to the baths is an open-air circular cistern. Its main water source is rainwater, which is supplied to the baths through a complex and efficient hydraulic system. The cistern is 7 meters deep, and its inner walls are coated with thick mortar to prevent rainwater leakage. The floor is designed with a slope so that silt and impurities settle at the bottom. When the pool is dry, you can use the stone steps to reach the bottom for cleaning. The stone pillar in the middle of the pool is used to measure the water level.



















After entering the reception hall, you reach the living area, where the main axis features a square courtyard and a colonnaded path, with nine sets of typical Umayyad-style suites on both sides. Each suite consists of a small courtyard with a central colonnade surrounded by rooms; some were renovated during the Abbasid and Fatimid periods, but the main layout remains today.





















The northernmost part of the complex is the palace area, right next to the north wall of the citadel. The main axis of the palace area features an arched gateway (Iwan) and a cross-shaped throne room. The palace area has four suites, including the residence of the Umayyad governor.





















On the south side of the Umayyad Mosque is the Jordan Archaeological Museum, founded in 1951, which displays many artifacts from the Umayyad period.



Plaster carvings from an Umayyad palace in the southern desert of Jordan, dating from 720-740. The carvings feature rich plant patterns, including roses, grapes, and leaves.



A window with geometric decorations at Hisham's Palace (Qasr Hisham) in Palestine. Hisham's Palace is located on the West Bank and was built in the early 8th century; it includes a palace, a bathhouse, and a farm, all connected to nearby springs by a complex water system. The Tree of Life mosaic in the bathhouse is considered the most famous Umayyad work.



Plaster decorations from Hisham's Palace.



A female carving from Mushatta Palace (Qasr Al-Mushatta) in Jordan. Mushatta Palace is a palace built by the Umayyad Caliph Walid II in 743-744.



A stone inscription in Kufic script, though unfortunately, there is no sign.



A jar from the Mamluk period.



A plate from the Mamluk period unearthed in Ain Basha, Jordan.









A bronze cannon from the Mamluk period.





An iron elephant mold from the Umayyad period.



A cooking pot from the Umayyad period.



The walls of the Amman Citadel were rebuilt many times during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties; you can still see towers built by the Ayyubid dynasty on the south wall, which offer a panoramic view of the city below.













Next to the Umayyad Mosque, there is a preserved site of Umayyad-period houses, including streets from 1,300 years ago; walking through them feels like stepping back into history. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: The Amman Citadel contains the largest surviving Umayyad urban ruins in Jordan, including a grand mosque, market square, domed hall, baths, cistern, palace, streets, and houses. This article preserves the source's site route, building details, dates, opening notes, and photographs.

The Amman Citadel, located in the heart of the old city of Amman, Jordan, holds the largest Umayyad urban ruins in the country. You need a ticket to enter the main gate of the Amman Citadel. It is open until 7:00 PM from Monday to Saturday, making it a perfect final stop for exploring the Umayyad palace.

The Amman Citadel has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, and the southern part of the site features ruins of a Roman temple and a Byzantine church. In the early 8th century, the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (reigned 724-743) built a massive urban complex in the northern part of the citadel, including a grand mosque, a market square, a domed hall, baths, a cistern, a palace, colonnaded streets, and many houses. The Amman Citadel stands alongside the ancient city of Anjar in Lebanon as one of the two most significant historical sites reflecting Umayyad urban planning.











The Umayyad Grand Mosque sits at the highest point of the Amman Citadel on a raised platform and is the largest surviving Umayyad mosque ruin in Jordan. The main hall is a 34-meter square supported by a series of columns. Its design is completely different from the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and looks more like the Apadana columned hall in Persepolis, Iran. the stucco carvings in the Umayyad Grand Mosque at the Amman Citadel feature a strong decorative style from the Iranian Sassanid Empire.



















The decorative patterns in each niche of the Grand Mosque are unique.











The north gate of the Grand Mosque faces the market (souq) square, which has rows of colonnaded shops on its east and west sides.













To the north of the market square is the reception hall, where the Umayyad governor met with delegations, tribal leaders, and foreign envoys, making it the largest Umayyad palace building in the Amman Citadel. The reception hall was built over existing Byzantine structures, so its axis differs from the Umayyad Grand Mosque and instead aligns with the orientation of the citadel hill.

The center of the reception hall is cross-shaped, with barrel vaults to the north and south and semi-domes to the east and west. It likely originally had a wooden dome, while the current dome is a later reconstruction. The interior of the hall is decorated with rich plant patterns, also in a strong Iranian Sassanid style.



















To the east of the reception hall are the baths and the cistern. You can enter the baths from the market on the south side through an arcade, or from the palace on the north side through a small alley. This alley has two doors and was once guarded by a security room inside the reception hall.

The bathhouse consists of a changing room (apodyterium), a cold room (frigidarium), a warm room (tepidarium), a hot room (caldarium), and a boiler. The changing room has a barrel-vaulted ceiling and a semi-dome, and it also includes a niche-style lounge. The changing room also served as a place for receiving guests, continuing the traditions of Roman bath etiquette. Umayyad caliphs used the baths as a diplomatic tool to communicate with various delegations.

Next to the baths is an open-air circular cistern. Its main water source is rainwater, which is supplied to the baths through a complex and efficient hydraulic system. The cistern is 7 meters deep, and its inner walls are coated with thick mortar to prevent rainwater leakage. The floor is designed with a slope so that silt and impurities settle at the bottom. When the pool is dry, you can use the stone steps to reach the bottom for cleaning. The stone pillar in the middle of the pool is used to measure the water level.



















After entering the reception hall, you reach the living area, where the main axis features a square courtyard and a colonnaded path, with nine sets of typical Umayyad-style suites on both sides. Each suite consists of a small courtyard with a central colonnade surrounded by rooms; some were renovated during the Abbasid and Fatimid periods, but the main layout remains today.





















The northernmost part of the complex is the palace area, right next to the north wall of the citadel. The main axis of the palace area features an arched gateway (Iwan) and a cross-shaped throne room. The palace area has four suites, including the residence of the Umayyad governor.





















On the south side of the Umayyad Mosque is the Jordan Archaeological Museum, founded in 1951, which displays many artifacts from the Umayyad period.



Plaster carvings from an Umayyad palace in the southern desert of Jordan, dating from 720-740. The carvings feature rich plant patterns, including roses, grapes, and leaves.



A window with geometric decorations at Hisham's Palace (Qasr Hisham) in Palestine. Hisham's Palace is located on the West Bank and was built in the early 8th century; it includes a palace, a bathhouse, and a farm, all connected to nearby springs by a complex water system. The Tree of Life mosaic in the bathhouse is considered the most famous Umayyad work.



Plaster decorations from Hisham's Palace.



A female carving from Mushatta Palace (Qasr Al-Mushatta) in Jordan. Mushatta Palace is a palace built by the Umayyad Caliph Walid II in 743-744.



A stone inscription in Kufic script, though unfortunately, there is no sign.



A jar from the Mamluk period.



A plate from the Mamluk period unearthed in Ain Basha, Jordan.









A bronze cannon from the Mamluk period.





An iron elephant mold from the Umayyad period.



A cooking pot from the Umayyad period.



The walls of the Amman Citadel were rebuilt many times during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties; you can still see towers built by the Ayyubid dynasty on the south wall, which offer a panoramic view of the city below.













Next to the Umayyad Mosque, there is a preserved site of Umayyad-period houses, including streets from 1,300 years ago; walking through them feels like stepping back into history. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This first part of the Cairo mosque journey begins with early landmarks such as Al-Hakim Mosque and Al-Aqmar Mosque. It preserves the source's mosque names, founding years, dynastic context, street route, architectural details, and photographs.

Al-Hakim Mosque: 1013

Al-Aqmar Mosque: 1125

Al-Ashraf Mosque: 1424

Al-Azhar Mosque: 972

Al-Hussein Mosque: built in 1154, rebuilt in 1874

Abu al-Dhahab Mosque: 1774

Al-Muayyad Mosque: 1415

Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque: 1160

Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque: 1395

Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque: 1480

Mosque of Ahmad al-Mihmandar: 1324

Mosque of Amir Altinbugha al-Mardani: 1338

Mosque of Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban: 1368

Blue Mosque: 1347

Sayyida Fatima Mosque: 18th-century expansion

Khayrbak Mosque: 1519

Sultan Hasan Mosque: 1356

Rifa'i Mosque: 1869.

Ibn Tulun Mosque: 876.

Taghribirdi Mosque: 1440

Shaykhu Mosque: 1349

Qanibay al-Muhammadi Mosque: 1413

Al-Hakim Mosque: 1013

Right next to the north wall of Old Cairo is the Al-Hakim Mosque. It is named after the sixth caliph of the Fatimid dynasty, who was also the 16th imam of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam, Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (reigned 996-1021). The Al-Hakim Mosque was started in 990 by the fifth Fatimid Caliph, al-Aziz Billah (reigned 975-996), and finished in 1013 by Caliph al-Hakim. It is now 1,012 years old.

The mosque originally sat outside the Cairo city walls, but it was brought inside after the walls were rebuilt in 1087. Its architectural style is similar to the Al-Azhar Mosque, but it is twice as large. The most striking features are the two minarets built on square brick bases. When the minarets were first built in 1003, they were separate structures. They were not encased in brick until 1010. Some scholars suggest this change relates to 1010, when the ruler of Mecca rejected Fatimid authority, weakening the dynasty's power. The outer wall of the southern brick base has Fatimid-era marble carvings in Kufic script. Because the northern base was incorporated into the northern wall of Old Cairo in 1087, its Kufic carvings were moved to the outside of the city wall.

During the Crusades, the Franks used the mosque as a prison. Later, Saladin used it as a stable. It was repaired during the Mamluk period in the 14th century, but it eventually fell into ruin for a long time. The mosque was repaired in 1808, and a small, colorful marble mihrab added during that time still exists today.

In the 20th century, the mosque served as a school until 1980, when the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Shia Islam carried out a massive reconstruction and renovation using white marble. Inside the main hall after the reconstruction, only the original plaster carvings, wooden beams, and scripture remained. This restoration was criticized by scholars for being 'inauthentic' and sparked widespread debate. In 2017, the Dawoodi Bohra community and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a new round of repairs, and the mosque did not reopen until February 2023.



















Al-Aqmar Mosque: 1125

Walking south from the Al-Hakim Mosque along Al-Mu'izz Street, the main road of Old Cairo, you can see the famous Fatimid-era Aqmar Mosque. The Aqmar Mosque was built in 1125-1126 by order of the Fatimid vizier Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi. It sat at the northeast corner of the Fatimid Eastern Palace, right next to the palace grounds.

The Aqmar Mosque is a landmark in Egyptian architectural history. It was the first mosque with a main entrance aligned with the street rather than the qibla wall, meaning it was the first planned according to Cairo's street layout. It was also the first to feature complex stone carvings. The facade of the Aqmar Mosque is very luxurious. Above the entrance is a medallion surrounded by a grille, with the names of the Prophet and Ali in the center and scripture around it—a unique decoration in Cairo.

At the top of the left facade are carvings of doors and windows. The window on the left symbolizes the ceremonial grille the Fatimids took back from the palace of their rivals, the Abbasids in Baghdad, representing victory. Inside the window are a lamp and a six-pointed star, based on the Shia hadith: 'The star is a promise to the world, and it will not be submerged.' Below the window are carvings of plants growing from a flower pot, referencing the Prophet's words about Hasan and Husayn: 'My two fragrant herbs in the world.' The door in the upper right corner comes from the famous Shia hadith: 'I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.'

Because it was near the Fatimid palace, the Aqmar Mosque originally had no minaret. One was added by the Mamluk dynasty at the end of the 14th century, and the cylindrical top was rebuilt during the Ottoman period.

In 1993, the Dawoodi Bohras branch of Shia Islam carried out a large-scale renovation of the Aqmar Mosque. Most of the historical elements inside the main hall were not preserved, which led to criticism.



















Al-Ashraf Mosque: 1424

The Ashraf Mosque (Al-Ashraf Mosque) was built in 1424 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay, who reigned from 1422 to 1438. The complex includes a main prayer hall, a school, a tomb, and a Sufi lodge (khanqah). It features a dome with geometric carvings, which is an early example of decorative dome carving.

Barsbay was once a Mamluk slave of Sultan Barquq and later served as a tutor to the young Sultan Muhammad. With support from the governor of Damascus and other emirs, Barsbay deposed the young sultan in 1422 and took the throne himself.

Barsbay’s 16-year reign was a time of relative safety and stability for the Mamluk Sultanate, with almost no wars. He was very generous to the poor and to Sufis, and he carried out a series of administrative reforms.

People called Barsbay the Merchant Sultan because he placed great importance on trade. He took steps to strengthen control over the Mediterranean and Red Seas, diverted Indian Ocean trade routes through Jeddah, and created state monopolies on sugar and pepper. He lowered tariffs to attract merchants and monopolized most of the trade from the East, which angered many European powers.



















Al-Azhar Mosque: 972

In 969 AD, the Shia Ismaili Fatimid dynasty conquered Egypt and began building their new capital, Cairo. At that time, the densely populated Sunni city of Fustat already existed south of Cairo, so the new city became the center for the Shia Ismaili faith.

After two years of construction, the first Friday mosque (Jami) in Cairo opened in 972 and was named the Cairo Mosque (Jami al-Qahira) after the city. The Cairo Mosque was later renamed the Al-Azhar Mosque (al-Jami al-Azhar), with Al-Azhar meaning the Radiant.

After the Al-Azhar Mosque opened, the Ismailis moved from secret to public preaching. The mosque's first chief judge, Qadi al-Numan, became the founder of Ismaili law and the author of the authoritative Ismaili text, The Pillars of Islam (Kitab da'a'im al-Islam).

The main hall of the Al-Azhar Mosque is a columned hall. The marble columns in the four rows of arcades came from ruins of the Pharaohs, ancient Rome, and the Copts, and they were leveled using bases of different heights.

The roof of the main hall originally had three domes, but none survived later renovations. The original mihrab was rediscovered in 1933, and the niche still preserves ornate stucco carvings from the Fatimid period.

Several Fatimid caliphs expanded and renovated the Al-Azhar Mosque. Caliph al-Hafiz, who reigned from 1132 to 1149, carried out a major renovation in 1138. The four-centered arches in the courtyard and the dome at the entrance to the main hall date from this time. The stucco carvings in the courtyard also come from this period, though they were renovated again in 1891.



















In 1171, Saladin overthrew the Fatimid dynasty and established the Sunni Ayyubid dynasty. The Friday prayers for Cairo moved to the Hakim Mosque in the north of the city, and the Al-Azhar Mosque was neglected because it had been the center of the Ismaili faith. Saladin removed the silver bands from the mihrab niche of the Al-Azhar Mosque that bore the names of the Fatimid caliphs and destroyed all the Ismaili manuscripts kept in the mosque.

It was not until 1266 that the Mamluk Sultan Baybars, who reigned from 1260 to 1277, restored Friday prayers at the Al-Azhar Mosque and repaired the building. The Ayyubid dynasty followed the Shafi'i school of law, which held that a community should have only one main Friday mosque. The Mamluk dynasty followed the Hanafi school, which did not have this rule.

The Mamluk dynasty left two grand minarets at Al-Azhar Mosque: the Qaytbay minaret and the twin minarets of Al-Ghuri, along with the Qaytbay Gate. The Qaytbay minaret was built in 1483 or 1495 and features three balconies decorated with ornate carvings. The Qaytbay Gate was built in 1495 and leads directly into the courtyard. Both are exquisite examples of late Mamluk architecture. During the reign of Sultan Qaytbay (1468-96), the Mamluk dynasty was politically and economically stable and won several military victories against the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan was very interested in art and architecture and sponsored as many as 230 buildings.

In 1509, the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (reigned 1501-16) built the twin minarets of Al-Ghuri. Al-Ghuri was the last powerful ruler of the Mamluk dynasty. He was eventually defeated by the Ottoman Empire and fell on the battlefield in Syria.



















In 1517, the Ottoman Empire conquered the Mamluk dynasty and occupied Egypt, causing the status of Al-Azhar Mosque to decline once again. It was not until after the 18th century, when the Mamluk elite regained influence in Egypt, that renovations and expansions of Al-Azhar Mosque continued.

In 1749, Abd al-Rahman was appointed as the head of the guards (Katkhuda). In 1753, he oversaw the construction of three Ottoman-style gates for Al-Azhar Mosque: the Barbers' Gate (Bab al-Muzayinīn), the Gate of the Upper Egyptians (Bab al-Sa'ayida), and the Soup Gate (Bab al-Shurba). Outside the Barbers' Gate was where students got their hair cut, 'Sa'ayida' means people from Upper Egypt, and the Soup Gate was where students went to get soup. From then on, the Barbers' Gate became the main entrance to Al-Azhar Mosque.

Abd al-Rahman also doubled the size of the main prayer hall of Al-Azhar Mosque to the south and added a new mihrab, giving the hall its current shape. After Abd al-Rahman died in 1776, he was buried inside Al-Azhar Mosque, becoming the last person in history to be buried there.

After the 18th century, Al-Azhar Mosque became the most influential educational institution in Egypt, and the ulama (scholars) could report to the Pasha (governor) as official advisors.

Napoleon occupied Cairo on July 22, 1798. On October 21, an uprising against the French broke out at Al-Azhar Mosque. Napoleon shelled the mosque directly from the Cairo Citadel, resulting in over 3,000 Egyptian casualties and the death of six Al-Azhar ulama. Napoleon's troops tied their horses to the mihrab of Al-Azhar Mosque and ransacked the student dormitories and the library. In 1800, the commander-in-chief of the French expeditionary force was assassinated by an Al-Azhar student, after which Napoleon ordered the closure of Al-Azhar Mosque. In June 1801, Cairo was recaptured by the British and the Ottoman Empire, and Al-Azhar Mosque reopened.



















Between 1892 and 1901, the last Khedive (viceroy) of Ottoman Egypt, Abbas II Hilmi Pasha, rebuilt the facade of Al-Azhar Mosque as part of a wave of modernization in British-occupied Egypt. At the same time, Al-Azhar University also carried out educational reforms to oppose fundamentalism. To mitigate the impact of the Saudi Wahhabi movement, many students from Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia came to study at Al-Azhar University during this period.

The last two pictures show the Fatimid dynasty stucco carvings restored by the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Art Monuments during the reign of Abbas II Hilmi Pasha.













Al-Hussein Mosque: built in 1154, rebuilt in 1874

Across from Al-Azhar Mosque is Al-Hussein Mosque, where Shia Muslims believe the head of Imam Hussein is buried. The mosque was first built in 1154, but its current appearance dates to a reconstruction in 1874.

The Fatimid dynasty believed the Abbasid dynasty secretly moved Imam Hussein's head from the Umayyad Mosque cemetery in Damascus. The Fatimids rediscovered it in 1091 and built a shrine for it in Ashkelon, Palestine.

In 1153, the Fatimid dynasty ordered the head of Hussein moved to Cairo to be buried with past Fatimid caliphs, and they built Al-Hussein Mosque in 1154. The lower part of the south gate of Al-Hussein Mosque still keeps its original Fatimid structure.

Al-Hussein Mosque was rebuilt by the Ayyubid dynasty in 1237, but it later burned down, leaving only one Ayyubid minaret today.

In 1874, Isma'il Pasha (reigned 1863-79), the ruler of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, rebuilt Al-Hussein Mosque in a Gothic Revival style and added a minaret blending Gothic and Ottoman styles. During his rule, Isma'il Pasha modernized Egypt on a large scale, trying to align Egypt with Europe, and the renovation of Al-Hussein Mosque was part of this effort.

In 1893, a room for Prophet Muhammad's relics (Bab al-Mukhallafat al-Nabawiyya) was added next to the shrine. It holds four strands of the Prophet's hair, a linen cloak he wore, a lantern, a copper kohl applicator, a staff, and a sword given to him by a companion.

The center of the shrine today is a metal grille (Zarih) made in Mumbai in 1965 by Taher Saifuddin, the leader of the Dawoodi Bohras. It is said this Zarih was originally designed for the shrine of Abbas ibn Ali in Karbala, but it could not be installed there. Taher Saifuddin believed this was guided by Allah, so he had the Zarih flown to Cairo and installed in Al-Hussein Mosque.



















Abu al-Dhahab Mosque: 1774

Right next to the west wall of Al-Azhar Mosque is the Abu al-Dhahab Mosque, built in 1774 by the Egyptian Mamluk ruler Abu al-Dhahab. This was the last large building complex the Mamluks built in Egypt, but only the mosque remains today.

Abu al-Dhahab means 'Father of Gold,' and he was a wealthy and generous Mamluk emir. During the Russo-Turkish War, the Egyptian Mamluk emir Ali Bey declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, and Abu al-Dhahab led troops to conquer most of the Hejaz and Syria. After taking Damascus in 1772, Abu al-Dhahab turned his army to occupy Cairo, becoming the actual ruler of Egypt until he died suddenly of the plague in 1775 while conquering Palestine.

The architecture of Abu al-Dhahab Mosque mixes different elements, including Mamluk-style outer walls, Ottoman-style domes, and a minaret inspired by the early 16th-century minaret of the nearby Sultan Qaytbay complex.



















The prayer niche (mihrab) and the pulpit (minbar) of Abu al-Dhahab Mosque feature Mamluk-style decorations inlaid with mother-of-pearl and marble.

















Al-Muayyad Mosque: 1415

Right next to the south gate of the old city of Cairo is the Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque, built between 1415 and 1421 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh (reigned 1412-1421). This site was originally a prison, and legend says Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad was held here when he was young. At the time, he suffered greatly from fleas and lice, so he made a dua that if he ever became Sultan, he would turn the site into a place for teaching and learning. This wish later came true.

With the Sultan's funding, the madrasa inside the Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque became one of Cairo's most famous academic institutions in the 15th century. The large endowment left after the Sultan passed away allowed the school to hire the most brilliant scholars of the time. Ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, the most famous authority on Islamic jurisprudence in Egypt, taught Shafi'i law here.

The madrasa at the Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque taught the four schools of Islamic law: Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali. According to mosque records, the school could accommodate 50 Hanafi students, 40 Shafi'i students, 15 Maliki students, and 10 Hanbali students, along with their teachers and imams. There were also two classes with 20 students each dedicated to studying Quranic exegesis and Hadith.

The Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque is the last large hypostyle mosque in Cairo. It originally had four facades, but today only the east side and the main prayer hall remain from the original structure. The mosque's main gate is known as the last grand gate of the Mamluk dynasty. It is decorated with beautiful geometric marble patterns, Kufic calligraphy, and complex stucco carvings.



















The main prayer hall of the Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque was one of the most ornate in Egypt at the time, and the qibla wall is decorated with colorful marble. The supporting stone columns were collected from Cairo and the surrounding areas, and they likely date back to the pre-Islamic era. The circular colorful marble decoration above the mihrab is also very unique, as this style was almost always used for floors rather than walls. Turkish tiles were added to the qibla wall in the 1840s, but they were removed to restore the original design during a 2001 renovation.



















The Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Mosque features exquisite wood carvings from the Mamluk period, including the minbar, wooden doors, and ceilings. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This middle part of the Cairo mosque journey follows medieval mosques such as Al-Salih Tala'i and other landmarks tied to the Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk periods. It keeps the source's sequence, mosque dates, architectural observations, and historical details intact.



















Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque: 1160

Just outside the southern gate of Old Cairo stands the Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque, built in 1160 by the Fatimid vizier Tala'i ibn Ruzzik. It is the last major historical building remaining from the Fatimid dynasty.

Tala'i was one of the last powerful viziers of the Fatimid dynasty, and he helped keep the dynasty stable for its final decades. The Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque was originally built to house the head of Imam Hussein, but the head was eventually placed inside the Fatimid palace and later became the Hussein Mosque.

The Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque is the first hanging mosque in Cairo. It is built on a platform with shops on three sides of the ground floor, while the main prayer hall sits above them. After more than 800 years of ground level rising, the shops are now nearly two meters below the street. The side of the mosque facing the street has five arched galleries, which is unique for pre-Ottoman Egypt. One theory suggests this was a royal viewing platform for ceremonial processions passing through the south gate of Old Cairo, while another suggests it relates to the ceremony for placing the head of Imam Hussein.

The 1303 earthquake caused the minaret above the mosque's front porch to collapse. It was later repaired during the Mamluk dynasty, and you can now see the wooden Mashrabiya railings added at that time. The Mamluk dynasty also added bronze-carved doors to the mosque, which are now kept in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo.



















The interior of the Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque preserves late Fatimid Kufic script stucco carvings, which are very ornate. The column capitals in the main hall are from the pre-Islamic period, and the mihrab was rebuilt with painted wood during the Mamluk period. The minbar (pulpit) next to it also belongs to the Mamluk period. It features exquisite craftsmanship and is one of the oldest surviving minbars in Cairo.



















The late Fatimid stucco carved windows and wooden doors from the Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque, now in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, are masterpieces of late Fatimid carving art.













Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque: 1395

The Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque was built in 1395 by Mahmud al-Kurdi, a high-ranking official of the Mamluk dynasty. The Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque features the earliest dome carved with V-shaped patterns; domes before this had spiral patterns. The dome on the minaret was also very rare at the time, though it was widely used later during the Ottoman dynasty.







Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque: 1480

Walking east from the south gate, the first thing you see is the Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque, built between 1480 and 1481 by the Mamluk emir Qijmas al-Ishaqi. This mosque is considered a model and masterpiece of late Mamluk architecture and is printed on the 50 Egyptian pound banknote. Unfortunately, the interior was under renovation when we visited, so we could only see the outside.

Qijmas al-Ishaqi was a high-ranking official in the late Mamluk dynasty. He was responsible for the royal stables and Hajj affairs, and also served as governor of Alexandria and Syria.

The Qijmas al-Ishaqi Mosque is also a hanging mosque, with the entire ground floor used for shops and the main prayer hall located on the upper level. The main building and the annex are connected by a bridge building, which features mashrabiyya wooden screens. The mosque's facade shows the architectural style typical of the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay (reigned 1468-96). The arabesque stone carvings, the stalactite-like cornices (muqarnas) above the windows, and the combination of red, black, and white marble are all very delicate. The main gate once had bronze door knockers shaped like dragon heads, but they were recently stolen.



















Mosque of Ahmad al-Mihmandar: 1324

Continuing forward, you reach the Mosque of Ahmad al-Mihmandar, built between 1324 and 1325 by the Mamluk Emir Ahmad al-Mihmandar. This place was originally a madrasa (religious school) and was not converted into a mosque until the Ottoman period in 1722. The mosque's facade is very exquisite, featuring the typical Mamluk decorative style with calligraphic inscriptions and muqarnas cornices.













Mosque of Amir Altinbugha al-Mardani: 1338

The Mosque of Amir Altinbugha al-Mardani was built between 1338 and 1340 by Amir Altinbugha al-Mardani, the son-in-law of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad. It is a typical Mamluk-style mosque with the most luxurious decorations of that time and is the first large mosque to feature an octagonal minaret and a large dome as standard.

When I visited in 2023, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture was restoring the mosque, so I could not enter and only saw the exterior. The mosque's entrance is an iwan (vaulted hall), decorated inside with muqarnas cornices and rich marble patterns, including joggle lintels and alternating light and dark ablaq brickwork.











Mosque of Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban: 1368

The Mosque of Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban was built between 1368 and 1369 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Sha'ban (reigned 1363-77) to commemorate his mother, Umm al-Sultan Sha'ban, who was performing the Hajj at the time.

The mosque has a typical Mamluk architectural style and features a dome with spiral and fluted patterns. The outer wall is 18 meters high and looks imposing, with three levels of windows, some of which are decorative blind windows. The mosque's gate features a towering, pyramid-shaped muqarnas cornice with rich stone masonry decorations below it. The interior of the main hall is shaped like a cross-vaulted iwan, and the qibla wall is also in the Mamluk style with colorful stone masonry.



















Blue Mosque: 1347

I attended Jumu'ah prayer at the Blue Mosque in Cairo at noon.

The Blue Mosque is originally named the Aqsunqur Mosque and was ordered to be built in 1347 by Emir Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur, the son-in-law of the Mamluk Sultan. As the former governor of Tripoli, Aqsunqur built the mosque in a Syrian style, which is different from the surrounding Mamluk-style mosques. The Syrian style includes cross-vaults and a columned layout, both of which are rare in Cairo.

The Blue Mosque has the oldest marble minbar (pulpit) in Cairo, which is also a rare example of a marble pulpit in the city.



















Between 1652 and 1654, Ottoman Janissary commander Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan gave the Blue Mosque a major renovation. He decorated the prayer wall (qibla wall) with Ottoman tiles imported from Istanbul and Damascus, which is how the mosque got its name. These tiles are in the Iznik style and feature cypress tree and tulip patterns.

















Sayyida Fatima Mosque: 18th-century expansion

The Sayyida Fatima Mosque was originally the home of Sayyida Fatima. In the 18th century, the Mamluk prince Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda expanded it into a large mosque. The main hall developed serious cracks in 1992, and it was expanded into its current form between 1999 and 2003.

Sayyida Fatima (660-728) was the great-granddaughter of the noble Prophet and the daughter of Imam Hussein. She grew up in her father's house and later married her cousin, Hasan ibn Hasan. They had several children. The most famous was the martyr Abdullah al-Mahd, who resisted the Abbasid Caliphate. His son, Idris, established the Idrisid dynasty in 788, which was the first unified dynasty in Moroccan history and is considered the beginning of the Moroccan state.

After the Battle of Karbala, Sayyida Fatima fled to Cairo. In Cairo, she adopted many orphans and opened her home to the poor, earning her the titles Mother of Orphans and Mother of the Poor. She raised seven orphaned girls who were later buried alongside her. She was also a scholar of Islamic law and Hadith, and she is considered a reliable narrator of Hadith.



















Khayrbak Mosque: 1519

The Khayrbak Mosque was built in 1519 by the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khayrbak, just two years after the Ottoman Empire conquered Egypt in 1517. Although the Mamluk Sultanate had already fallen when it was built, the mosque still features the typical Mamluk style.

Khayrbak was originally a Mamluk emir and governor of Aleppo, but he defected to the Ottomans in 1516 and became the first Ottoman governor of Egypt in 1517.



















Sultan Hasan Mosque: 1356

The Sultan Hasan Mosque was built between 1356 and 1363 by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Hasan, who reigned from 1347 to 1351 and again from 1355 to 1361. This large mosque is massive in scale and cost over 10,000 dinars, making it the most expensive mosque built in medieval Cairo. The high cost attracted craftsmen from all over the Mamluk Sultanate, including Anatolia, which is why the mosque has such a diverse range of decorative styles.

The Sultan Hasan Mosque also witnessed the fall of the Mamluk Sultanate. In 1517, the last Mamluk Sultan, Tuman Bay II, resisted the Ottoman army from inside the Sultan Hasan Mosque. The Ottoman army fired cannons at the mosque from the Citadel of Saladin across the way. The Sultan was forced to flee, and Cairo fell completely into Ottoman hands.

The Sultan Hasan Mosque is 150 meters long and 36 meters high. It has eight windows arranged vertically on its southwest and northeast facades, which visually emphasize the height of the building. The top edge of the mosque's facade features a 1.5-meter-high stalactite cornice, a detail never seen before in Mamluk architecture.

The Sultan Hassan Mosque has two minarets. When the southern minaret was finished, it stood 84 meters above the street, making it the tallest minaret in all of Mamluk architecture. The northern minaret collapsed in 1659 and was rebuilt between 1671 and 1672. The original design for the mosque called for four minarets in the Seljuk style, but one collapsed during construction in 1361, killing 300 people, so only two were ever completed.

The main gate of the Sultan Hassan Mosque is 38 meters high. Its decorative style was strongly influenced by Anatolian Seljuk and Ilkhanate architecture, and it looks very similar to the gate of the Blue Madrasa in Sivas, Turkey. Unfortunately, the marble carvings on the gate were never finished, and some only show the outlines. This actually lets us see the stone carving process of the time, where a master craftsman would carve the outline first, and then an apprentice would finish the rest.



















The Sultan Hassan Mosque has a classic Mamluk cruciform layout, consisting of a central courtyard and four massive vaulted halls (iwan). The ablution fountain (wudu fountain) in the center of the courtyard was renovated during the Ottoman period, but it remains the oldest one in Mamluk architecture.

The center of the main hall is decorated with Kufic calligraphy and swirling arabesque patterns, which is unique in Mamluk architecture. The qibla wall is decorated with colorful marble panels. The center of the mihrab features three rising suns, each with the word Allah written in gold in the middle. The minbar has beautifully patterned bronze doors, which are also very rare in Mamluk architecture. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This final part of the Cairo mosque journey continues through later historic mosques, including the Rifa'i Mosque and other Islamic monuments in the city. It preserves the source's mosque names, construction dates, rulers, architectural notes, and photographs in clear English.









Rifa'i Mosque: 1869.

The Rifa'i is a Sufi order founded in Iraq in the 12th century, with a wide presence across Egypt and Syria. The Rifa'i Mosque in Cairo is named after Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i, the grandson of the order's founder, Ahmad al-Rifa'i, who is buried there. This site started as a Sufi lodge. Between 1869 and 1912, the Muhammad Ali dynasty of Egypt rebuilt it into the current grand mosque. It holds the graves of many Egyptian royals, including several kings, as well as the last Shah of Iran, Pahlavi.



























Ibn Tulun Mosque: 876.

The Ibn Tulun Mosque is the oldest surviving mosque building in Egypt and the largest in Cairo.

The mosque was built between 876 and 879 by the Tulunid Emir Ahmad ibn Tulun (reigned 868-884) to serve as the Friday mosque for the Tulunid capital, al-Qata'i. Ahmad ibn Tulun was originally the Abbasid governor of Egypt. He later took control of the finances and the army to rule Egypt himself.

The city of al-Qata'i was modeled after Samarra in Iraq. The Ibn Tulun Mosque sat at its center, and Ibn Tulun's own palace was built right next to it. He could enter the minbar (pulpit) directly through a secret door. Next to the palace were a large parade ground, gardens, and a horse racing track. The city also featured water aqueducts, irrigation canals, a sewage system, and Cairo's first public hospital. In 905, the Abbasid dynasty took back Egypt and razed the city of al-Qata'i to the ground. The Ibn Tulun Mosque was the only building left standing.

The Ibn Tulun Mosque was built to copy the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq and shows the classic Abbasid style. The mosque consists of a rectangular courtyard surrounded by halls supported by stone pillars. The side facing the Kaaba is the largest. In the center of the courtyard is a wudu (ablution) fountain. The one seen today was built by the Mamluk Sultan Lajin (reigned 1296-1299) at the end of the 13th century and features a tall dome.



















Inside the main hall of the Ibn Tulun Mosque are six mihrabs (prayer niches). The one in the center of the qibla wall was built by Mamluk Sultan Lajin in the late 13th century. It features painted wooden panels, mosaic decorations in the middle, and colored marble at the bottom.





The stucco mihrab to the left of the qibla wall is decorated with muqarnas (stalactite) cornices and Thuluth script. It is believed to date back to the early Mamluk period.





On both sides of the dikka (raised platform for the muezzin) are stucco-carved mihrabs in the Samarra style of Iraq. The one on the right is carved with stars hanging from chains. Neither of these two mihrabs mentions Ali, so they predate the rise of the Shia Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century. They are likely original works from the 9th-century Tulunid period.







The westernmost mihrab was made by the Fatimid vizier Al-Afdal Shahanshah (in office 1094-1121). The original is kept in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. This mihrab is heavily decorated with Persian-influenced style. Its inscriptions mention the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir and the Shia Shahada.



There is another mihrab modeled after the Al-Afdal mihrab, though only parts of it remain today. Unlike the original, this one mentions the Mamluk Sultan Lajin and does not mention Ali, so it is believed to have been built during the Mamluk period.



The minaret of the Ibn Tulun Mosque was also modeled after the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq and is the only spiral minaret in Egypt. One theory says Ibn Tulun built it himself, while another says it was built by the Mamluk Sultan Lajin in 1296.











The Mosque of Ibn Tulun has a minbar pulpit made entirely of wood, featuring beautiful wood carving and inlay work.









Taghribirdi Mosque: 1440

Taghribirdi Mosque was built in 1440 by Emir Taghribirdi, who was a secretary to the Mamluk Sultan. Emir Taghribirdi became a respected emir under the Sultan after he performed meritorious service in the Mamluk army's war against the Kingdom of Cyprus.

The mosque has a typical Mamluk architectural style, and the Sabil fountain on the left side of the main gate was rebuilt in 1911. The main gate features ablaq, which is a technique of alternating colored stone masonry. The dome to the right of the main gate has diamond-shaped patterns.









Shaykhu Mosque: 1349

Shaykhu Mosque was built in 1349 by the great Mamluk Emir Shaykhu al-Umari an-Nasiri. In the mid-14th century, Shaykhu was one of the most influential emirs in the Mamluk Sultanate and served as commander-in-chief of the army.

Shaykhu Mosque has the earliest open-arcade riwaq courtyard in Egypt, which is paved with colored marble. The upper part of the mihrab features original Mamluk colored marble with the name of Allah in the center of a sunrise, while the lower part is paved with 18th-century Tunisian tiles.



















Qanibay al-Muhammadi Mosque: 1413

Qanibay al-Muhammadi Mosque was built in 1413 by Qanibay al-Muhammadi, a high-ranking official of the Mamluk Sultanate. Qanibay was purchased by the Mamluk Sultan Barquq. He later became responsible for drafting official correspondence and sending letters from the Sultan to various kings and princes, eventually becoming the representative of the Mamluk Sultanate in the Levant region.

The mosque has a typical Mamluk style, featuring a dome with V-shaped patterns and a minaret with stalactite cornices. view all