What is the relationship between UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the mosque?
The Sayyida Nafisa Mosque, also known as the Shrine of Sayyida Nafisa, is a mosque located in the Sayyida Nafisa district (or Wadi al-Siba'), part of a larger historical cemetery called al-Qarafa (or the City of the Dead) in Cairo, Egypt. It was built to commemorate Sayyida Nafisa, a renowned Islamic scholar and member of the Prophet Muhammad's family. The mosque contains the shrine of Sayyida Nafisa. Along with the surrounding cemetery, it is listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Cairo.
The mosque has undergone renovations
Throughout history due to its great importance to Muslims.
What does the mosque contain?
There is a long road leading to the mosque called the "Path of the Prophet's Family" (or "Path of the Prophet's Family").
The shrine of Sayyida Nafisa
The shrine of Sayyida Jawhara, the servant of Sayyida Nafisa.
The mosque has separate entrances for men and women.
A long corridor leads to the holy shrine.
The shrine also contains a copper enclosure.
The mosque has separate entrances for men and women, and the entrance has recently been renovated and paved with fine marble.
Inside the mosque, there is a long corridor leading to the shrine. This corridor contains beautiful paintings expressing love for the Prophet's family and some wonderful poems praising them.
The Islamic Architecture at the Sayyida Nafisa Mosque
The Main Entrance
Distinguished by its ornate arches and Quranic inscriptions adorning the walls, these inscriptions are not merely decorative but rather an expression of Islamic art that blends beauty and spirituality.
Inside the Mosque
The interior design is striking, reflecting a balance between open and enclosed spaces, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity. The marble columns supporting the high ceiling add a touch of grandeur to the mosque while contributing to the even distribution of natural light throughout.
The Central Dome
One of the most prominent architectural elements of the Sayyida Nafisa Mosque, the dome symbolizes the heavens and serves as a focal point in the design. Adorned with geometric and floral motifs, it reflects the precision and creativity of Islamic art. These decorations are not merely aesthetic elements but also carry symbolic meanings expressing unity and harmony in the universe.
The Minarets
An integral part of the mosque's design, the minarets add a vertical dimension that symbolizes the connection between earth and heaven. Minarets are also used to call people to prayer, reinforcing the mosque's role as a religious and social center.
The Doors and Windows
The wooden decorations adorning the doors and windows showcase the skill of the craftsmen who built the mosque. These decorations are a prime example of traditional Islamic art, employing carving and engraving techniques to highlight intricate details. The colors used in the decorations range from warm to cool, creating a visual balance that is soothing and enhances the aesthetic appeal of the space.
The Courtyard
This is a fundamental element in the design of traditional mosques. The courtyard provides an open space that allows visitors to relax and reflect, and it is also used for performing certain religious rituals. The courtyard is surrounded by arcades decorated with symmetrical arches, lending the space a sense of harmony and cohesion.
The Mosque Activities
The daily Prayers
The religious Lessons
Celebrations of Islamic Occasions
The seminars and Workshops are held at the mosque
focusing on social and cultural issues of concern to the Muslim community, such as promoting the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and the role of youth in building society. These events contribute to raising cultural and social awareness and encourage constructive dialogue among different segments of society.
Where exactly is the mosque located?
The Sayyida Nafisa Mosque is located in the Arab Republic of Egypt, specifically in the capital, Cairo, in the Sayyida Nafisa neighborhood (or Darb al-Siba'). It is part of the largest historical cemetery, known as the city of the Dead, in Cairo. The mosque is situated in a historical area rich in Islamic monuments, making it an integral part of the cultural and religious fabric of the Egyptian capital.
What do you know about Al-Ashraf Street in Fatimid Cairo?
Sultan Al-Ashraf Street, also known as Al-Ashraf Street, in Fatimid Cairo is undergoing a comprehensive development project to restore its shrines, most notably the Sayyida Nafisa Mosque, and several other mosques, shrines, and historical sites that represent a distinctive cultural heritage. The project also includes upgrading the street and the buildings along it to enhance its cultural value, restore its prominence, and place it firmly on the map of religious tourism.
Why do people visit it from inside and outside Egypt?
Because it is associated with the family of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) – outside the Arabian Peninsula – specifically in Egypt, whose people the Prophet praised highly. It is also one of the oldest mosques in Cairo
The mosque is considered a center for spreading religious knowledge and learning, where lessons and lectures are held focusing on teaching the Holy Quran and the Prophet's Sunnah.
It is believed that visiting the mosque and praying there carries a special blessing.
The visitors come to supplicate, pray, and seek intercession from God.
A Simplified History of the Mosque
According to Dr. Ahmed Salama, a lecturer at the Faculty of Arabic Language, Al-Azhar University
Sayyida Nafisa came to Egypt in the early second century AH and stayed for between six and eight years, according to historical accounts. She was a contemporary of Imam al-Shafi'i, who used to visit her at her home in the Darb al-Siba' district to seek her blessings and converse with her. When he passed away, she requested that the funeral prayer be performed for him inside her home before his burial.
When was the mosque founded?
A mosque was built around the shrine to accommodate worshippers and visitors. The project to develop the mosques of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's family) in Fatimid Cairo includes visiting the most famous shrines of the Ahl al-Bayt, paving the floors with basalt, upgrading and improving lighting, restoring and painting building facades, improving and developing main streets, and extending sewage lines.
This mosque was founded in its current form in the year 1314 AH (1897 CE).
1314 AH (one thousand three hundred and fourteen years after the Hijra)
Corresponding to the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven CE (1897 CE)
The shrine of Sayyida Nafisa has received the attention of the rulers and caliphs of Egypt
From her death at the beginning of the second century AH until the era of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Salama affirms that most of the rulers of Egypt throughout the successive Islamic eras have shown interest in the shrine and mosque of Sayyida Nafisa, focusing on renovation, development, and restoration. This began with the era of the Abbasid governor of Egypt, al-Sari ibn al-Hakam, and continued through the reigns of Caliph al-Amir bi-Amr Allah, al-Nasir ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun, and up to President al-Sisi.
She dug her own grave in her home and was buried there in 208 AH.
While this was the first grave of its kind in that area, outside the cemetery, a large number of Egyptians and their successors requested to be buried near her for blessings, including the Abbasid caliphs, whose name is associated with a dome near the shrine of Nafisa al-Ilm.
Who was the first to build over the grave of Sayyida Nafisa?
He is the Emir of Egypt, Ubayd Allah ibn al-Sari ibn al-Hakam. During the reign of Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, he ordered the renovation of this shrine in the year 482 AH. Caliph al-Hafiz li-Din Allah did the same in the year 532 AH, and again over two hundred years later.
It was then rebuilt during the Fatimid era, when a dome was added
The date of its construction is inscribed on a marble tablet placed at the shrine's entrance, bearing the name and titles of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah.
The dome was renovated again during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Hafiz li-Din Allah
After some cracks and fissures appeared in it.
The mihrab was clad in marble
in the year 532 AH
Then Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun ordered
that the Abbasid caliphs should oversee the shrine of Sayyida Nafisa.
During the reign of al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun,
The mosque was built next to the shrine of Sayyida Nafisa. In the year 1173 AH, Prince Abd al-Rahman renovated both the mosque and the shrine. Together, during the Ottoman era, specifically in the year 1314 AD, an order was issued by Khedive Abbas Pasha II to rebuild the mosque and shrine, and it still stands today receiving worshippers.
The restoration of the Shrines and Mosques of the Prophet's Family Since 2021
The project to develop the mosques of the Prophet's family aims to transform the area into an open-air museum, restoring its historical depth and presenting a replica of Fatimid Cairo in all its details. It seeks to evoke the mental image of all its elements, in keeping with the historical and archaeological character of this era. This is achieved by opening up the squares connecting the mosques of Sayyida Zeinab, Sayyida Nafisa, and Sayyida Aisha, passing by the other shrines of the Prophet's family on Khalifa Street, as well as important historical monuments such as the Ibn Tulun Mosque, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, the Dome of Shajarat al-Durr, and the Khalifa Heritage Environmental Park. The project also includes the Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque, the shrine of Muhammad Anwar (believed to be a descendant of the Prophet), the Dome of the Ashraf, the shrine of Sayyid Jawhar, and the shrine of Sidi al-Hanawi. The restoration and renovation of the shrines and tombs of the Prophet's family, and the development of the roads and squares leading to them, began in 2021, under the auspices of the Egyptian Presidency. In December 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directed that “the shrines be developed in an integrated manner, including the interior halls of the mosques and their architectural decorations, in a way that is in harmony with the historical and spiritual character of the shrines and tombs.
How Egyptians Celebrate This Noble Mosque
The ignorant among the Egyptians hold a belief in this mosque
It is beyond description and impermissible due to the polytheistic practices it contains. They prostrate to it and seek forgiveness from it. This was one of the machinations of the Fatimid preachers.
On the other hand: Egyptian Sufi orders, lovers of the Prophet's family, and Al-Azhar University celebrate
The birth of Sayyida Nafisa bint Sayyidna al-Hasan (may God be pleased with them both), who was known among Egyptians as "Nafisa al-Ilm" (Nafisa of Knowledge). The celebration begins with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by gatherings of remembrance, supplications, and praise of the Prophet, which focus on the noble life of Sayyida Nafisa al-Ilm, the granddaughter of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). The celebration program includes religious speeches by scholars of Al-Azhar University and preachers of the Sufi orders, addressing her scholarly standing among the Prophet's family (peace and blessings be upon him), her intellectual and spiritual role, and the lessons of tolerance, moderation, and sincerity in worship found in her life. They emphasize that celebrating the birth of the Prophet's family is an opportunity to renew moral and spiritual values.
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