Qala'un Mosque

The Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala'un Mosque is an early 14th century mosque at the Citadel in Cairo, Egypt (the sultan also built a religious complex in the center of the city, next to the one by his father Qalawun). It was built by the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasr Muhammad in 1318 as the royal mosque of the Citadel, where the sultans of Cairo performed their Friday prayers. The mosque is located across the street from the courtyard access to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali.

The hypostyle mosque is built as a free standing 63 x 57 m rectangle around an inner court with a sanctuary on the qibla side and galleries surrounding the other three sides. The main entrance protrudes from the face of the western wall. There are two other entrances, on the northeastern side and on the southern side, respectively. Unlike most other mosques of Cairo, its outer walls are not paneled and have no decoration except a crenellation composed of rectangles with rounded tops. This results in a rather austere appearance which is probably accounted for by the military nature of its setting. Crenellation on the inner walls around the courtyard is of the stepped type.

There are two minarets, both built entirely of stone, one at the northeast corner and one at the northwest portal right above the main entrance; the former is the higher of the two. The top of the latter is unique in Cairo in that it has a garlic-shaped bulb. The upper structure is covered with green, white and blue glazed mosaics (faience). This style has probably been brought by a craftsman from Tabriz who is known to have come to Cairo during the reign of al-Nasr Muhammad. Contrary to all other Mamluk mosques, the base of both minarets is below the level of the roof of the mosque. This indicates that the minarets were already standing when the walls were made higher in 1335. The heightening of the walls also resulted in a row of arched windows that give the building a special character.

In the 1335 renovation, the mosque was heightened, its roof rebuilt and a dome of plastered wood covered with green tiles was added over the maqsura (prayer niche). For centuries the Qala'un Mosque was considered the most glamorous mosque in Cairo until the dome over the prayer niche collapsed in the sixteenth century and the high marble dado was carried off to Istanbul by the Ottoman conqueror Sultan Selim I. The present dome is modern, carried by granite columns taken from ancient Egyptian temples.

See also

  • Bahri dynasty
  • Al-Nasir Muhammad (1295 – 1341)
  • Islamic architecture

References

  • Behrens-Abouseif, Doris (1989) 'Architecture of the Bahri Mamluks'. In Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction. Leiden/New York: E.J. Brill, pp. 94–132.
  • Rabbat, Nasser O. (1995) The citadel of Cairo: a new interpretation of royal Mamluk architecture (Islamic history and civilization, vol. 14). Leiden/New York: E.J. Brill. ISBN 90-04-10124-1

External links

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Mahmoud Arafa
30 October 2012
Big, comfortable, and nice design.
Nabilaazmi
6 July 2014
Imam read 1 juz' during tarawekh. It's really comfortable here.
Mohamed Adel
10 May 2013
اللهم تقبل صﻻتنا
Load more comments
foursquare.com
6.1/10
Moattaz Badawi and 1,125 more people have been here
Map
0.1km from Passage Inside Salah Al Din, Al Abageyah, Qism El-Khalifa, Cairo Governorate, Egypt Get directions
Fri 5:00 AM–6:00 AM
Sat 24 Hours
Sun 5:00 AM–6:00 AM
Mon 5:00 AM–6:00 AM
Tue 24 Hours
Wed 11:00 AM–2:00 PM

Masjid Saladin on Foursquare

Qala'un Mosque on Facebook

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Victoria Azur Hotel

starting $16

Windsor Hotel Cairo

starting $28

Cairo Khan Hotel

starting $39

Cairo Khan Hotel

starting $0

Garden View Hostel

starting $14

City Plaza Hostel

starting $25

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Cairo Citadel

The Saladin Citadel of Cairo (Arabic: قلعة صلاح الدين‎ Qalaʿat Salāḥ

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Mosque of Muhammad Ali

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque (Arabic: مسجد محم

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Al-Gawhara Palace

Al-Gawhara Palace (Qasr al-Gawhara), also Bijou Palace, is a palace in

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan

The Sultan Hassan Mosque is considered stylistically the most compact

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Blue Mosque, Cairo

The Blue Mosque (or the Aqsunqur Mosque) located in Cairo, Egypt is

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Mosque of Ibn Tulun

The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Ţūlūn (Arabic: مسجد أحمد بن طولون‎) is l

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Al-Azhar Park

Al-Azhar Park is a public park located in Cairo, Egypt.

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Монастырь Святого Симеона Сапожника

Монастир Святого Сімеона Шевця. У верхній частині кварталу зв

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Fatih Mosque (Istanbul)

The Fatih Mosque (Türkçe. Fatih Camii) or Conqueror's Mosque in E

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Mihrimah Mosque

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Turkish: 'Mihrimah Sultan Camii') is an

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Mosque of Muhammad Ali

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque (Arabic: مسجد محم

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Islamic Center of Washington

The Islamic Center of Washington is a mosque and Islamic cultural

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Babri Mosque

The Babri Mosque (اردو. بابری مسجد, हिन्दी. बाबरी मस्जिद), or Mosque

See all similar places