Article by Rehab Al-Abd

Reviewed and designed by Dina Al-Taweela

Al-Aqmar Mosque is not just a small mosque in the Al-Nahhasin neighborhood, but a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered a rare Fatimid architectural model that combines beauty and innovation.

Here lie the ancient white stones, recording in Egypt's history an architectural icon that bears witness to nine centuries of Cairo's historical genius, and which boasts the oldest stone facade, over 900 years old.

The Location

In the heart of Fatimid Cairo, it was built in the Gamaliya district on Al-Muizz Street (formerly known as Al-Nahhasin Street), and it was located north of the eastern Fatimid Palace.

The general specifications of the mosque

The Al-Aqmar Mosque is one of the most prominent surviving Fatimid architectural masterpieces in historic Cairo.

It is distinguished as the first mosque in Egypt to have its facade built entirely of stone, with a unique architectural design that harmonizes with the street layout. The Al-Aqmar Mosque is the smallest mosque in Cairo.

It boasts the oldest stone facade, dating back over 900 years.

The Reason for the Name

Al-Maqrizi mentions that the mosque was named as such because of the white color of its stones, which resembles the color of the moon.

The Date of Construction

The mosque was built by the minister al-Ma'mun ibn al-Bata'ihi, commissioned by Caliph al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah Abu Ali Mansur in 519 AH (1125 CE).

Al-Maqrizi recounts that the mosque

was built on the site of a monastery called the Well of Bones, because it contained the bones of some Coptic martyrs. When the tenth Fatimid Caliph, al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah, ordered the construction of a mosque near the Mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, a plot of land was chosen not far from the mosque. Strangely, it was a Coptic monastery called the Well of Bones because it contained the bones and remains of a number of Coptic martyrs throughout the ages. Even more surprising was that no one objected to this order, likely due to fear of the Fatimid regime. Caliph al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah commissioned his minister, al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi, to build the mosque on top of the Coptic monastery. Before assuming this position, al-Bata'ihi had worked in construction, and this experience helped him build the mosque in a magnificent and splendid manner. It repeats

The Interior Architectural Design

The Courtyard and Arcades

The mosque's interior dimensions are 28 x 17.50 m.

It features a central, open, square courtyard with sides measuring 10 m.

The Courtyard (middle courtyard)

It is a square-shaped courtyard, open to the air. The courtyard and its interior components appear slightly off-center from the exterior facade line because the architect made the facade parallel to the street's alignment line instead of parallel to the courtyard, in order to accurately align the direction of prayer towards the Kaaba.

The Arcades

The Qibla Arcade

It's located on the southeastern side, it is the deepest and largest, consisting of three arcades parallel to the mihrab wall.

The Other Three Arcades

Only one arcade surrounds the courtyard on each of the three remaining sides.

The Arches

All the arcade arches are built of brick and decorated with ornate Kufic inscriptions.

The Marble Columns

The arches of the interior arcades are supported by reused, ancient marble columns (brought from Roman or Byzantine buildings).

The columns rest on cast marble bases and are crowned with capitals of varying shapes and decorations, connected by wooden beams.

The Roofs and Roofing

The roofs and roofing of Al-Aqmar Mosque feature a unique architectural style based on the use of shallow (few-depth) brick domes.

The Covering the Arcades

The three arcades surrounding the courtyard (except for part of the Qibla arcade) are covered with small, low, shallow domes built of brick.

The Covering the Arcades

The three arcades surrounding the courtyard (except for part of the Qibla arcade) are covered with small, low, shallow domes built of brick.

The Transition Zones

The transition between square and circular domes relies on the use of spherical triangles, a technique that emerged during the Fatimid era (as seen in Bab al-Nasr and Bab al-Futuh).

Later, in Ottoman mosques, the use of multiple small domes covering arcades, as well as the use of spherical triangles as transition zones within the domes, became widespread.

The Roof of the Mihrab Arcade

In the qibla portico (which is the largest and deepest of the porticoes and consists of three arcades), the arcade that precedes the mihrab was distinguished by being covered with a flat wooden roof, while the other two arcades were covered with shallow domes.

The Windows

The windows of Al-Aqmar Mosque are one of the most prominent and important architectural and decorative elements that distinguish this unique Fatimid monument. The mosque is the first mosque in Egypt whose facade is built of stone and designed with a special geometric and decorative design that is in line with the street layout.

The Iconic on the facade

On the far left of the main facade of the mosque, there is a unique window that attracts the attention of researchers and historians.

The Exterior Architectural Design

A rectangular window topped by a perforated opening in the shape of a radiant six-pointed star (resembling the sun), with a central inscription, and from its center hangs a chandelier or lamp covered in decorations

The decorative frame

The window is framed by an arch resting on two small, integrated columns.

The Doctrinal Symbolism

The window is surrounded by a Kufic script band bearing the declaration of monotheism, and interwoven within its decorations are names expressing the Fatimid Shiite doctrine such as (Muhammad and Ali). Some archaeologists believe that this design symbolizes a “flat mihrab” or represents the idea of ​​“light and radiance” associated with the philosophy of Fatimid architecture.

The Doctrinal Symbolism

The window is surrounded by a Kufic script band bearing the declaration of monotheism, and interwoven within its decorations are names expressing the Fatimid Shiite doctrine such as (Muhammad and Ali). Some archaeologists believe that this design symbolizes a “flat mihrab” or represents the idea of ​​“light and radiance” associated with the philosophy of Fatimid architecture.

2- The "Qamariyyat" windows with stained glass

Above the mihrab and within the walls of the qibla iwan are perforated stucco windows known as qamariyat.

These windows rely on harmonious structures made of perforated stucco filled with colored glass tiles.

During the day, these windows allow natural light to filter into the prayer hall, casting enchanting, spiritual colors upon the walls and marble columns.

3. The Arched Niches (Decorative Arches)

Although some appear as recessed (closed) arches rather than open windows, the Fatimid architect employed the design of "arched niches" as a key visual element.

Above the mosque's entrance and the northern side are circular niches in the form of radiating mihrabs, from which geometric rays emanate, mimicking the sun's disc.

The decorative circles inscribed with foliated Kufic script are centered around these niches

4. The Interior Windows Overlooking the Courtyard

The mosque features an open central courtyard, around whose arcades (porticoes) are distributed openings and upper interior windows that help to:

- Provide continuous ventilation of the mosque, given its small overall area;

- It distribute light evenly among the four arcades, especially the prayer hall (qibla arcade).

The Mihrab

The mihrab is located at the front of the qibla portico of the Al-Aqmar Mosque, precisely centered on the qibla wall.

The original mihrab was flanked by two interlocking columns, and its arch was covered with a very fine, colorful marble mosaic dating back to the renovations carried out by the Mamluk prince Yalbugha al-Salimi in 799 AH / 1396 CE, by order of Sultan Barquq. A commemorative plaque above this arch records the details of this Mamluk restoration.

The geometric design and the floral and calligraphic inscriptions carved in Kufic script of the historical mihrab are identical to the portable wooden mihrab of Al-Azhar Mosque, currently preserved in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo.

The Modern Renovation (1993)

The Dawoodi Bohra community undertook a large-scale renovation of the mosque, replacing the historic Al-Salmi mihrab with a completely new one made of white marble and decorated with gilded inscriptions. This is the current mihrab in the mosque, which has sparked considerable archaeological controversy as it altered the ancient historical identity of the mosque's interior.

The architectural and formal characteristics of the exterior facade

The Architectural Deviation to Align with the Street

One of the most distinctive features of the building's floor plan is its responsiveness to the street's orientation, which deviates from the qibla direction. The building's western facade, containing the entrance, faces this street, while simultaneously aligning with the qibla direction.

This is because the mosque's land is bisected by the street, and the building's exterior was designed in an irregular rectangular shape to conform to the road.

The engineering solution

The architect separated the orientation of the mosque's exterior facade from that of its interior layout (the courtyard and arcades).

Indeed, the mosque's architect skillfully aligned the exterior facade with the street line, while the interior was angled to ensure the correct qibla direction.

The Unique Stone Facade

It is 900 years old

The most prominent feature of the building is its western facade, which is one of the oldest stone facades decorated in this rich and diverse style of Islamic architecture in Egypt. Historical references indicate the use of stone in Fatimid architecture alongside bricks, as the traveler Nasir Khusraw, who visited Egypt in 439 AH / 1048 AD, describes the Fatimid palaces he saw there as having walls of stones that fit together so tightly that it seems to the observer that they are carved from one rock.

The Circular Solar Motifs

Contain motifs that look like a bright sun with concentrated rays, in the center of which are engraved circles bearing the names of God, His Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him), and Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, surrounded by floral and calligraphic rings.

- The prominent design (arches and muqarnas)

The facade includes hollow and chamfered arches that end with muqarnas (pendants), and it is one of the first prominent applications of this element in the facades of mosques in Egypt to give a three-dimensional and visual depth.

- The Inscription bands

The bands of ornate Kufic script extend over the arch and architectural units, recording the name of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah and the minister supervising the construction, Al-Ma’mun al-Bata’ihi.

- The interlocking arch and the art of muqarnas

The “interlocking arch” appears for the first time at its entrance, which later became the basis of Mamluk architecture, along with the use of pendants and stone muqarnas.

- The Inscriptions and Writings

The arches of the facade are centered around sun-shaped circles inscribed with Islamic and Shiite religious phrases (such as the repetition of the names Muhammad and Ali), surrounded by Quranic verses in Kufic script.

- The Design and Decorations

The facade is carved with inlets and radiant (star-shaped) arches in which circles and prominent floral and geometric decorations are located,

Most notably the design of the “Mohammedan Scene” which symbolizes five fingers or “the Five People of the Cloak” in commemoration of the Fatimid Shiite thought.

The religious and political content of the Shiite inscriptions on the mosque's facade

The facade of the Al-Aqmar Mosque is a stone carpet that speaks of Ismaili Shiite thought, in which political and religious content is manifested through

1. The Reverence for the Prophet's Family

The names of Muhammad (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) and Ali (the first Imam and successor) are repeated together at the center of the decoration to demonstrate their absolute spiritual and legal connection.

2. The Verse of Purification

The verse of divine will and purification is inscribed in Kufic script: {Indeed, Allah intends only to remove from you all impurity, O People of the Household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.}

This signifies the divine selection of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the infallibility of the Prophet's family.

To signify the divine selection of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the infallibility of his family.

3- The symbolism of light and suns

The use of radiant, sun-like motifs (seven major and minor suns) symbolizes, in Fatimid literature, the infallible Imam as the "lamp," "light," or "guide" who guides humanity, with the names of Ali and Muhammad encircling the center of these solar circles.

4. The Five People of the Cloak

The symbolism of the Five People of the Cloak (Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan, and Hussein) is clearly evident in the mosque's artistic design.

5. The Affirming the Legitimacy of the Caliphate

The inscriptions aimed to establish the legitimacy of the Fatimid state and prove the political and religious transfer of the Imamate through the Fatimid Alid lineage.

The minaret

The original mosque without a minaret

The Al-Aqmar Mosque, when it was built in the Fatimid era (519 AH / 1125 AD), did not originally include a minaret. Historians believe that its close proximity to the Fatimid Caliphate palaces was the reason for this, so that climbers could not see the palaces' private parts and look inside them.

The Current Minaret

(799 AH / 1396 CE)

The current, surviving minaret was added during the Circassian Mamluk period, specifically in 799 AH / 1396 CE, as part of the extensive renovations undertaken by Prince Yalbugha al-Salimi (later Sultan al-Zahir Barquq).

The minaret is located in the northern corner of the mosque, specifically to the left of the main entrance on the stone facade. It begins with a square base embedded in the facade wall, after which the shaft transitions into a round (cylindrical) shape that extends to the first roundabout of the muezzin's platform.

The cylindrical shaft of the minaret is adorned with geometric and calligraphic inscriptions and decorations that reflect the Mamluk architectural style prevalent in the late 14th century CE.

The original mosque lacked a pulpit

No sermons were delivered at the Al-Aqmar Mosque when it was built during the Fatimid era, and therefore it did not have a pulpit.

The first pulpit was erected and illuminated for the first Friday prayer in Ramadan of 799 AH (1396 CE) thanks to renovations by Prince Yalbugha ibn Abdullah al-Salimi during the Mamluk era.

The Material and Decoration

The pulpit was made of teak or inlaid wood, and its sides were decorated with intricate geometric patterns made of assembled wooden panels, representing Islamic geometric shapes such as stars and star-shaped plates.

The Pulpit Gate (Introduction)

The gate contains a foundation plaque and an inscription bearing the name of the Mamluk Sultan, Al-Malik Al-Zahir Barquq, who ordered the construction and renovation of the mosque, under the supervision of Prince Yalbugha Al-Salimi

The Pulpit Canopy

The pulpit is topped by a canopy (a wooden canopy) surmounted by a small dome, a traditional feature of Islamic pulpits in Egypt, where the preacher sits during the sermon.

The Current Pulpit

The current pulpit of Al-Aqmar Mosque is a relatively modern one, installed as part of the comprehensive renovation and restoration work the mosque underwent. The mosque had lost its original pulpit and mihrab over the centuries due to deterioration, neglect, and subsequent renovations.

The Restoration and Renovation of Al-Aqmar Mosque Throughout the Ages

1- The Mamluk Era

(Prince Yalbugha Al-Salimi, 799 AH - 1396 AD)

After the end of the Fatimid Caliphate, Al-Aqmar Mosque suffered from severe neglect. It was then revived during the Mamluk era by Prince Yalbugha ibn Abdullah Al-Salimi, known for his Sufism and devotion to the Prophet's family. He breathed new life into the mosque, restoring and renovating it in 799 AH (1396 AD) during the reign of the Mamluk Sultan Barquq. This followed the French campaign, as the mosque had suffered damage. He rebuilt the minaret in the Mamluk style, renovated the mihrab (prayer niche) and added two marble columns, and constructed a minbar (pulpit). He also built shops with multiple stories above the main entrance and a beautiful water basin in the mosque's courtyard, fed by a waterwheel. He raised the basin slightly so that water could flow down to those performing ablutions. This was done through taps made of copper. A pulpit was also installed in it, and the date of this process was recorded on a plaque that was installed above the mihrab. It still retains some of its artistic decorations to this day, which are characterized by the spirit of art in the Fatimid era, which you can find on the front of the arch of Bab al-Muqaddam and behind the preacher’s council.

2- The Ottoman Restoration

(Prince Suleiman Agha al-Silahdar, 1821)

- The upper part of the minaret above the first level collapsed in 815 AH / 1412 CE due to significant structural inclination.

The upper sections of the minaret were later reconstructed and renovated.

It underwent further restoration during the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha by Prince Suleiman Agha al-Silahdar (1236 AH / 1821 CE), resulting in its current form, which combines a lower Mamluk section with a renovated spire.

- The subsequent renovations were carried out on the mosque by Prince Suleiman Agha al-Silahdar in 1821 CE, restoring it to service after a period of neglect that had severely damaged its foundations.

3. The Modern Era

(The committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities, 1928)

- The mosque suffered encroachments, the most significant of which resulted in the loss of the right half of its western facade, which was replaced by the facade of a house.

A decisive decision was made by the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities to expropriate the house encroaching on the facade, demolish it, and rebuild the missing right half of the western facade, identical to the original remaining left half.

The Committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities also restored and renovated the mosque

removing the buildings that stood in front of its facade, thus revealing the facade's complete decorations and preserving its historical character and ornamentation during the period beginning in 1928.

4. The Dawoodi Bohra Community, 1993

In 1993, the mosque underwent extensive renovations by the Dawoodi Bohra community.

This included replacing the Salmi mihrab with a new marble one and reconstructing the southern half of the exterior facade.

The renovations were criticized for sacrificing some of the mosque's historical elements, particularly inside.

5- A comprehensive restoration project for the Supreme Council of Antiquities in 2023

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, has paid great attention to the Historic Cairo area, where work is underway on a number of projects, in line with its historical and archaeological importance as it is one of the sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as being one of the most important tourist destinations for the cultural tourism product.

The peace and harmony between Islam and Christianity

One of the finest examples of architectural and cultural cohesion in Egypt. When the Coptic Museum was founded at the beginning of the twentieth century (1908) by its founder, Morcos Simaika Pasha, the facade of the Fatimid Al-Aqmar Mosque was copied and applied to the museum's facade, with the Islamic decorations and inscriptions being replaced by Christian symbols and crosses added by the visual artist Ragheb Ayad.

The Reasons for this Architectural Choice:

1. A message of peace and unity: Through this design, Morcos Simaika Pasha wanted to emphasize that Islamic and Christian architecture in Egypt are a single, interconnected fabric, reflecting the spirit of national unity and religious tolerance.

2. Highlighting artistic magnificence: The facade of the Al-Aqmar Mosque is a unique masterpiece and has garnered great admiration throughout the ages.