Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad
Al-Muayyad Mosque | ||
---|---|---|
Year consecrated 1415 | | |
Location | ||
Location | Cairo, Egypt | |
Geographic coordinates | 30°02′35″N 31°15′27″E / 30.04306°N 31.25750°E | |
Architecture | ||
Type | Mosque | |
Style | Mamluk | |
Completed | 1421 | |
Specifications | ||
Dome(s) | 1 | |
Minaret(s) | 2 |
The Mosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad (
History
Sultan al-Mu'ayyad
In keeping with
The historian Al-Maqrizi relates the future Sultan al-Mu'ayyad was imprisoned in the same prison which the mosque replaced as while an emir under Sultan Faraj. Shaykh suffered so terribly from fleas and lice during his imprisonment, he vowed that he would transform the prison into "a saintly place for the education of scholars" if he ever came to power.[2] True to his word, when he became Sultan he commissioned the mosque.
In 1412, Shaykh assisted in overthrowing Sultan Faraj, and within six months, he seized power and became the new Sultan. He took the title al-Mu'ayyad and began to expand his empire through battles against neighboring territories. As sultan, al-Mu'ayyad led a number of successful campaigns to northern
Under the sultan's sponsorship, the madrasa within the mosque became one of the most prominent academic institutions Cairo in the fifteenth century. The lavish endowment left by the sultan upon his death allowed the madrasa to hire the most eminent scholars of the day as professors. The most famous Quranic specialist in Egypt,
Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh died in 1421, eleven years after he took power. Throughout his reign, he gained a reputation as a humble man and as one of the great patrons of architecture in Cairo. On his death, the sultan left behind several religious and secular monuments, including a
Construction
Construction of the mosque began in May 1415. The project was an ambitious one, costing the sultan 40,000
Even after the official conclusion of the mosque's construction, a number of structures in the original plans were never built. The dome of the second mausoleum attached to the mosque was never completed. A separate building for use as dormitories by
Purpose
The mosque was intended as a funerary complex and for use in Friday prayers, but its greatest purpose was that of a madrasa for Sufi students, according to al-Maqrizi's story of its origins. The madrasa was devoted to the study of the
Architecture and Appearance
Exterior
The Mosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad was the last great hypostyle mosque built in Cairo. Originally it had four facades and entrances. Over time, the mosque fell into disrepair, and today only the eastern facade and the prayer hall are original to the mosque.[3] Much of what can be seen today has been restored over the past two hundred years and is not necessarily how the mosque originally looked.[2]
In order to build the mosque, a portion of the
The main portal, or
Originally, the mosque was intended to include a symmetrical pair of domed mausoleums flanking a prayer hall; this ambition was curbed when the dome of the second mausoleum was not completed.[5] On either side of the prayer hall are funerary chambers, housing the Sultan and his son in one and female members of the Sultan's family in the other.[2] The Sultan's chamber has a domed ceiling, as originally planned, while the women's chamber has a plain flat ceiling. This dome is a reduced copy of Faraj's twin domes; because of the large size of the mosque, the dome appears disproportionately small in its setting.[5]
Interior
The sanctuary of the mosque was one of the most richly decorated of its time; wall decoration was limited to the prayer hall, which was decorated with polychromatic marble high enough to include window and mihrab recesses. The marble columns are pre-Islamic and have diverse sizes and shapes, since they were drawn from structures across Cairo and the surrounding territories. Floors were paved with polychrome marble in the sanctuary and courtyard, although the minor riwaqs were paved with stone. The prayer hall includes two blind windows decorated either in the Andalusian or Moroccan style, one in a geometric pattern and the other in floral.[6]
The mihrab and minbar are both decorated in a typical period style.[2] The minbar is decorated with finely carved wooden doors and panels, and above the minbar is a large rosette of polychrome marble. This is particularly unique because this style is usually used on a floor, rather than upon a wall.[7]
The funerary chambers are largely plain, although there are cenotaphs carved in marble. The largest of these cenotaphs is a quote from the Qur'an in Kufic script reading "Surely those who avoid evil will be among gardens and fountains: enter them in peace, secure" (Qur'an 15:45-46). The visual style of the carved Kufic inscriptions dates it to the Fatimid period, meaning al-Mu'ayyad likely salvaged it from an earlier building.[6] Both funerary chambers have shallow mihrabs on their walls facing the lesser riwaqs. These mihrabs were likely used by people praying within each riwaq, especially in the case of overflow during peak prayer times.[2]
Other rooms in the mosque included a library, which was itself known for its collection of books. The majority of books in the library came directly from the Citadel's royal collection. Five hundred others were donated by the sultan's private secretary, Muhammad al-Barizi. For this contribution, al-Barizi's son was appointed as the mosque's preacher and librarian. Donations similar to this were common among high-level bureaucrats in the hope that they might gain similar favor with the Sultan.[3]
The mosque has a remarkably large pavilion compared to other mosques in the area with an ablutions fountain in the centre. The original fountain was said to have marble columns roofed with a gilded wooden dome above an awning, adding to the building's splendor. Just west of the mosque are the ruins of a hammam which was part of the mosque's foundation.[6]
Inside the minarets are carved
Renovations
Throughout its history, the Mosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad has undergone extensive renovations. Even early on, reconstruction was necessary. According to al-Maqrizi, the eastern minaret had to be pulled down and rebuilt as early as 1418 due to structural insecurity from its tower base. Another three-story minaret stood at the Western portal on a side street; it collapsed in 1427 during Sultan Barsbay's reign and was immediately rebuilt.[3]
By the nineteenth century, the mosque had fallen into such disrepair that all that remained was one facade, the prayer hall, and the mausoleums.[2] Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Muhammad 'Ali, oversaw restorations in the late 1830s and 1840s, including the installation of Turkish tiles in the qibla wall. In the late nineteenth century, the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe rebuilt the western facade and turned the courtyard into a garden.
In 2001, the mosque again underwent restorations, this time by the order of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. These restorations removed the garden from the courtyard and rebuilt the majority of the mosque, including missing arcades around the courtyard.[2] This project has restored the mosque and its results can be seen today; however, visitors should note that what they see is not necessarily what the mosque looked like in its original form.
See also
- Lists of mosques
- List of mosques in Africa
- List of mosques in Egypt
- List of Historic Monuments in Cairo
- Maristan of al-Mu'ayyad
- Mamluk architecture
References
- ^ a b c d Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Cairo of the Mamluks". Cairo:AUC Press, 2008. p 239
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh Complex". ArchNet Digital Library. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Cairo of the Mamluks". Cairo:AUC Press, 2008. p 241
- ^ Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Cairo of the Mamluks". Cairo:AUC Press, 2008. p 239-241
- ^ a b Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Cairo of the Mamluks". Cairo:AUC Press, 2008. p 243
- ^ a b c Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Cairo of the Mamluks". Cairo:AUC Press, 2008. p 244
- ^ Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. "Cairo of the Mamluks". Cairo:AUC Press, 2008. p 243-244
External links