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Ibn Tulun Mosque

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HobWahid
HobWahid
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1. Mosque of Ibn Tulun

1. Mosque of Ibn Tulun

The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is an appropriate place to start any exploration of Islamic Cairo, as it is the earliest surviving mosque in Egypt. Ahmed Ibn Tulun was appointed governor of the settlement of Fustat in 868 by the Iraqi Abassids. In turn Ibn Tulun declared his independence, and his Tulunid dynasty ruled his new city of al-Qitai until 905. This mosque, based upon that of Samarra in Iraq, was the devotional heart of his regime.

South of the Citadel, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun seems rarely visited by the tourist swarms that clog the arteries of Khan el-Khalili. Indeed, my taxi driver did not particularly know where it was. He had to ask passers-by for directions five times as he drove through slums of ruined buildings, tents pitched in middens, and bearded and robed men selling cauliflowers from the back of horse-drawn carts. The lack of tourists is in many ways a shame, as the brutal austerity of Ibn Tulun's mosque is quietly impressive.

From the street there isn't much mosque to see. You are confronted with a long blank wall, topped with a lacy frosting of geometric designs. This is the 'ziyada' (enclosure) - it separates the holiness of the mosque from the bustle of the material world. Up the steps you come across a vast courtyard encircled by a ninth-century portico. This courtyard, 92m square, was designed to enable the entire (male) population of al-Qitai to worship at once. This is a mosque of the desert tribes, austere, open to the fierce sun which bleaches everything to bone. Centred at its heart is a later (thirteenth century) fountain under a squared dome. Entrance is free, though you are expected to head over to the left, where you are required to exchange your shoes for felt slippers. This is also free.

Leaving, I was approached by the smart white-uniformed policeman who started chatting to me. Taking me around the side of the mosque (to the right as you approach it from the road) he showed me the mosque's unusual minaret. It is unusual in that its spiral staircase encircles the outside of the minaret. From the top of the minaret, an exposed canopy with not much in the way of guard rails (so parents with kids, maybe look for another minaret to ascend!) you can see down into the polo-field of the courtyard. Lone figures walking across are dwarfed by its immensity, their movements an affront to its purpose. Indeed, earlier I had felt nervous venturing out from the shade of the portico across the stark expanse of open ground to reach the central fountain. You can also see across to the much-later Mosque of Muhammed Ali atop the Citadel to the east. A spot of bakseesh is expected for this guidance.

From journal Conquering Al-Qahira: a Walk Through Old Cairo

Editor Pick

Ibn Tulun Mosque

  • July 25, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mightywease from Carshalton, United Kingdom
Ibn Tulun Mosque

Ibn Tulun Mosque, constructed AD 876-9, is the oldest functioning Islamic mosque in Cairo. Ahmed Ibn Tulun, who was sent to rule Cairo by the Caliph of Baghdad, built it. These Iraqi origins are seen in the mosque’s architecture making it very different in style and appearance from other mosques in the city. The clean, bright brickwork, the unusual minaret, with an outer spiral staircase, and the large open-air prayer space give the Mosque a distinct Middle Eastern feel. The mosque covers approximately 6.5 acres in area and the prayer hall, a vast open-air courtyard with an ablutions fountain covered by a doomed roof, was large enough to accommodate the whole Muslim community. A covered arcade, a boon on a hot day when the heat of the sun seems to be exacerbated by the dazzling brickwork, shades the outer perimeter of the prayer hall. The pointed arches of this arcade pre-date their use in Christian architecture by about 200 years.

There is little decoration, except for some architectural ornamentation around the top of the arcades, however the simple clear lines of the architecture are striking enough in themselves and need no embellishments. Large wooden doors lead off to the outer courtyard, which surrounds the mosque like a moat. This would originally have been filled with shops and stalls.

The Mosque is a very peaceful place; we were the only visitors at the time, and impressive both in terms of its size and simplicity. During our visit in September 2003 the complex was undergoing a lot of restoration so many of the walls were covered in scaffolding and, unfortunately, the minaret was closed so we weren’t able to climb up it. A bit of a regret as I had read that the views over Islamic Cairo are fantastic. We did, however, get to climb up the structure containing the ablutions fountains, which did allow us to gain a better impression of the scale of the mosque. However, take care where you step as the brickwork is un-even and it wouldn’t be hard to lose your footing and trip over.

Entry costs 12.00 Egyptian Pounds ($2) per person plus baksheesh for the canvas coverings to go over your shows and a guide, if you would like one.

From journal Cairo - Ancient and Modern

Editor Pick

Mosque of Ibn Tulun

  • October 1, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by HobWahid from Damascus, Syria
Mosque of Ibn Tulun

Just a few blocks from the foot of the Citadel, tucked away on the edge of Islamic Cairo, lies one of the oldest and most spectacular mosques in the whole city, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. At first glance you will notice that the mosque is a completely different style than all the rest in Cairo, and this is because the mosque was built by Ibn Tulun, who was the governor of Cairo during the rule of the Abbasids in the 9th century. The Abbasids held there capital in Baghdad, thus they brought with them a different style of architecture, one more closely resembling the ancient styles of Samarra.

From the outside the splendor of the mosque is not as visible. All that is visible are towering mud-brick walls, waiting for their turn in the enormous restoration project being undertaken by the Egyptian government. Once you walk through the gate, the outer courtyard, and into the main courtyard of the mosque, however, the architectural genius of Ibn Tulun becomes apparent.

The first thing that greets you upon entering the mosque, besides the workers who try to charge you for holding on to your shoes (just carry them, it’s easier), is the vast stone courtyard with a large stone fountain standing square in the middle. Proceeding around the outside of the courtyard, it is hard not to appreciate the geometric perfection of the mosque and to notice the pointed arches, built almost 200 years before they made their way into Christian architecture. The mosque also contains a finely ornamented mihrab and minbar.

The mosque is absolutely enormous for it was designed to house the whole Muslim community at the time. That is why every trip must include a climb up the magnificent spiraled minaret. The minaret is the most distinct and recognizable minaret in all of Cairo. A slippery set of stone stairs winds around the outside of the minaret to a narrow balcony a few feet from the top. From there a narrow set of steep stairs takes you inside the utmost point of the minaret. From here you can look out the windows and get one of the most spectacular views in all of Cairo. Looking down you get the perfect vantage point to witness the magnificence of the mosque. Just beyond the mosque you get the best view of the citadel in the whole city, and from all other directions you can gaze out upon the hazy horizon of Cairo.

The mosque is hardly visited by tourists, and chances are you will be able to take a good amount of time alone in the top of the minaret to just take in the sights and sounds of Cairo. The black and white taxis whizzing by below, honking their horns, the shouts of shopkeepers, and the tatter of the restoration below. All of this makes Ibn Tulun one of the most spectacular mosque experiences in all of Cairo.

From journal Islamic Cairo: Go beyond the Pyramids

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