Description of the attraction
The Ibn Tulun Mosque is the second oldest in Cairo and was used as an administrative building in ancient times. It was named in honor of the Abbasid governor in Egypt, Ahmed ibn Tulun, and originally bordered on his palace. The Ibn Tulun mosque was erected in 879 AD on a small hill on which, according to local legend, Noah's ark stopped after the Flood.
The Ibn Tulun Mosque was built in the style of the Great Mosque in Samarra (Iraq). To this day, the mosque has retained its appearance, which it had from the middle of the 19th century. The temple is a huge rectangular fortress, which is surrounded by a massive wall, decorated with high battlements. The mosque has a square courtyard with arched galleries on three sides, under which there are covered halls. The courtyard is paved with stone and in the middle there is a fountain for ablutions. An arched structure was later erected over the fountain. From the south, the courtyard turns into a prayer hall. The minaret was designed in the shape of a spiral, which is a feature of this mosque. The walls of the mosque are made of baked bricks and covered with plaster - this method of construction was uncharacteristic for Egypt at that time, it was borrowed from the craftsmen from Baghdad.
The mosque has been reconstructed and restored several times. Its last update took place in 2004. In medieval times, several buildings were built near the walls of the temple, most of which were destroyed in the 30s of the 20th century. Two buildings remained, called the "House of the Chinese Woman" and the "House of Amna, Salim's Daughter", which were later connected by a bridge at the level of the fourth floor.
Initially, this mosque was erected as a temple for crowded prayers, which could accommodate all residents of the city for Friday services. According to legend, the plan of the mosque was developed by a Christian architect, who was specifically released from the dungeon where he was sitting. However, the name of the architect has not survived.
The minaret of the mosque can be seen from the farthest corners of the city.
