Overview:
Al-Hakim Mosque, Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah Mosque, is considered one of the most important Islamic monuments in Cairo. It is part of the architectural group known as Historic Cairo, declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is located north of the Old City, specifically next to the wall that surrounded it in that sector between Bab Al-Futuh and Bab Al-Nasr.
This building was constructed during the Fatimid Caliphate, and construction began specifically in the year 990, during the reign of the Caliph Al-Aziz (975-996) and was completed in 1013 by his son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996-1021). At first it was attached to the outer part of the primitive walled enclosure, which was raised using adobe by the Sicilian jewels at the place he chose to found a new city. Later it was included within the extension of the wall that is still attached to the northern wall of the mosque.
The property is located in "Islamic" Cairo, on the eastern side of Al-Muizz Street, south of Bab Al-Futuh (an Arabic word meaning "the Gate of Conquest"). It was named after the sixth Fatimid caliph al-Hakim (985-1021), and the first to be born in Egypt. It was originally designed by Fatimid vizier Jawhar al-Siqali (died 992) as a free-standing facility, but was subsequently incorporated into the fortification complex built by Badr al-Jamali. The mosque consists of an irregular rectangle, surrounded by four rows of arches. Its unusual element is the monumental entrance with a stone balcony exposed from the front.
The most striking elements of the Al-Hakima Mosque are the minarets, one on each side of the front façade, resembling the towers of an ancient Egyptian temple. Originally, both minarets stood at the corners, not adjacent to the brick walls. It is also the oldest preserved minaret in Cairo, which has been restored over and over again over the centuries. In order to reinforce its structure, massive tiles were added in 1010, and the northern minaret was incorporated into the city walls complex. Inside, these astonishing structures are empty, as they were constructed around the original minarets, connected to the style, and are still visible today from the top of the minaret below.
Al-Hakim Mosque has served for purposes other than religious worship throughout its turbulent history. During the Crusades, it served as a prison for "Frankish" prisoners (as the Crusaders called them "Latin" from Western Europe), for Sultan Saladin - and later a local school. In 1980, the Al-Hakim Mosque was completely rebuilt in bright white marble decorated with gold by the head of the India-based Ismaili (Fatimid) movement, Muhammad Burhanuddin Sayyidna. However, you can still see remnants of the original decorations: stucco sculptures, a wooden ceiling and Quranic inscriptions.
The building has undergone some modifications. Shortly after its construction, in the year 1010, Al-Hakim partially covered the minarets at their bottom with showy pyramidal bodies. The reason for this action is unknown, and Sage is known to have been an eccentric character, and he may only wish to hide a builder from his father's time.
Baybars II (1308-1309) restored it after suffering an earthquake, adding the firsts to the minarets. In 1359 it was restored by Sultan Al-Nasir Hasan (1347-1351 and 1354-1361). The site was later decommissioned and used for other uses, such as Napoleon's prison, stable, and barracks, until it ended up in ruin. It was restored from 1980, and on this occasion the Qarqumas Mausoleum, which until then had been next to the main door of the mosque, was moved.
The main entrance to the mosque is located in front of the Qibla and is made of a massive decorated door. In the center of the mosque, like the others at that time, a large central courtyard surrounded by arcades on all four sides. The qibla corner occupies a covered room consisting of five naves separated by arches supported by rectangular stone columns with attached columns. It has a sixth nave perpendicular to the qibla at the height of the mihrab. The side galleries contain three naves, and the lower part is only two.
In a similar fashion to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, before that it was surrounded by a courtyard called Ziada that effectively separated it from Medina.
The current mihrab was built in 1809. It has a dome above it, and two others are at the top of the building, next to the qibla.
Today the mosque is more of a tourist site than a place of worship. Its unique minarets attract local and foreign tourists.
This building was constructed during the Fatimid Caliphate, and construction began specifically in the year 990, during the reign of the Caliph Al-Aziz (975-996) and was completed in 1013 by his son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996-1021). At first it was attached to the outer part of the primitive walled enclosure, which was raised using adobe by the Sicilian jewels at the place he chose to found a new city. Later it was included within the extension of the wall that is still attached to the northern wall of the mosque.
The property is located in "Islamic" Cairo, on the eastern side of Al-Muizz Street, south of Bab Al-Futuh (an Arabic word meaning "the Gate of Conquest"). It was named after the sixth Fatimid caliph al-Hakim (985-1021), and the first to be born in Egypt. It was originally designed by Fatimid vizier Jawhar al-Siqali (died 992) as a free-standing facility, but was subsequently incorporated into the fortification complex built by Badr al-Jamali. The mosque consists of an irregular rectangle, surrounded by four rows of arches. Its unusual element is the monumental entrance with a stone balcony exposed from the front.
The most striking elements of the Al-Hakima Mosque are the minarets, one on each side of the front façade, resembling the towers of an ancient Egyptian temple. Originally, both minarets stood at the corners, not adjacent to the brick walls. It is also the oldest preserved minaret in Cairo, which has been restored over and over again over the centuries. In order to reinforce its structure, massive tiles were added in 1010, and the northern minaret was incorporated into the city walls complex. Inside, these astonishing structures are empty, as they were constructed around the original minarets, connected to the style, and are still visible today from the top of the minaret below.
Al-Hakim Mosque has served for purposes other than religious worship throughout its turbulent history. During the Crusades, it served as a prison for "Frankish" prisoners (as the Crusaders called them "Latin" from Western Europe), for Sultan Saladin - and later a local school. In 1980, the Al-Hakim Mosque was completely rebuilt in bright white marble decorated with gold by the head of the India-based Ismaili (Fatimid) movement, Muhammad Burhanuddin Sayyidna. However, you can still see remnants of the original decorations: stucco sculptures, a wooden ceiling and Quranic inscriptions.
The building has undergone some modifications. Shortly after its construction, in the year 1010, Al-Hakim partially covered the minarets at their bottom with showy pyramidal bodies. The reason for this action is unknown, and Sage is known to have been an eccentric character, and he may only wish to hide a builder from his father's time.
Baybars II (1308-1309) restored it after suffering an earthquake, adding the firsts to the minarets. In 1359 it was restored by Sultan Al-Nasir Hasan (1347-1351 and 1354-1361). The site was later decommissioned and used for other uses, such as Napoleon's prison, stable, and barracks, until it ended up in ruin. It was restored from 1980, and on this occasion the Qarqumas Mausoleum, which until then had been next to the main door of the mosque, was moved.
The main entrance to the mosque is located in front of the Qibla and is made of a massive decorated door. In the center of the mosque, like the others at that time, a large central courtyard surrounded by arcades on all four sides. The qibla corner occupies a covered room consisting of five naves separated by arches supported by rectangular stone columns with attached columns. It has a sixth nave perpendicular to the qibla at the height of the mihrab. The side galleries contain three naves, and the lower part is only two.
In a similar fashion to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, before that it was surrounded by a courtyard called Ziada that effectively separated it from Medina.
The current mihrab was built in 1809. It has a dome above it, and two others are at the top of the building, next to the qibla.
Today the mosque is more of a tourist site than a place of worship. Its unique minarets attract local and foreign tourists.
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