The mosque of ibn tulun, cairo, egypt is the second oldest mosque in egypt and africa surviving in its full original form, and is the largest mosque in cairo in terms of land area. Elements such as the pointed arch, the pier, and wall battlements formed the essential ingredients of the birth of gothic architecture. It is one of the largest and oldest mosques in egypt. The mosque of ibn tulun, is considered the second oldest mosque extant in. After recounting the story of ibn tulun and his successors, architectural historian tarek swelim presents a.
The exterior facades of the building are crowned by crenellations composed of unique forms known as arais which resemble human abstract shapes or paper dolls. Since ibn tulun is an open space, it brings in a lot of sun and shadows, it is built around an open square courtyard. The american university in cairo press, kairo 2000, s. The mosque of ibn tulun in cairo 87679 is not only the most complete abbasidstyle mosque to survive anywhere but also one of the very few mosques westerners can still visit. This is a good story but scholars doubt its validity, believing rather that it was told to explain the use of brick piers, which had never before. Since ibn tulun mosque has lots of open space, it brings in a lot of sun and shadows.
Ibn tulun mosque is both the oldest and the largest mosque in cairo. Ibn tulun was the son of a turkish slave of mongol origins owned by the abbasid caliph almamun. Ahmad ibn tulun 83584, the son of a turkic slave in the abbasid court of baghdad, became the founder of the first independent state in egypt since antiquity, and builder of egypts shortlived third capital of the islamic era, alqatai and its great congregational mosque. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun discover islamic art museum with. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, and is the largest mosque in cairo in terms of land area. It was commissioned during the abbasid era, and although it is believed to. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the. It was designed by the prominent egyptian architect, saiid ibn kateb alfarghany, who was a christian orthodox, the same engineer who designed the nilometer. An outer moatlike courtyard, originally created to keep the secular city at a distance, was at one time filled with shops and stalls. It was under the reign of ahmad ibn tulun that egypts status changed from a provincial abbasid caliphate to that of an independent state. Mosque of ibn tulun is the third largest mosque in the world. It is the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, and is the largest mosque in cairo in terms of land area.
Mentioned in every survey of islamic architecture, the mosque has never received due treatment. It is built around an open square courtyard which allows natural light to travel through. The mosque of ahmad ibn tulun is a huge and majestic red brick building complex. Mosque of ibn tulun cairo, egypt mosque, tour agency.
Elements such as the pointed arch, the pier, and wall battlements formed the essential ingredients of the birth of gothic architecture, which led europe to the renaissance. The mosque of ibn tulun was constructed by ahmed ibn tulun between ad 876 and 879 and modeled on. In view of its architectural and social importance, its restoration proceeded according to the principle of minimal intervention, respecting the original fabric while erasing the damage caused by previous works for example, by removing the earlier cement mortars that had given rise to cracks. Ibn tulun mosque is a rare example where europeans openly admitted its influence on the development of many features of their architecture. The ibn tulun mosque was completed in 879 ad on mount yashkur in a settlement named alqatai by the founder of egypts. Sep 06, 2011 ibn tulun mosque holds the record of the oldest and largest mosque in cairo city with its original form intact. It is the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, is the largest mosque in cairo in terms of land area. Ahmad ibn tulun built this mosque from 870 to 879 ad in order to accommodate all of his troops. Ibntuluncairo the worlds most beautiful mosques travel. The mosque was commissioned in 876 ad, which makes. Views from minaret of ibn tulun, cairo, egypt, gelatin silver print, 1916 to 1921. It was built on the site of presentday cairo and includes a mosque surrounded by three outer ziyadahs, or courtyards. It was built in the 870s by ahmad ibn tulun, the ruler of egypt and syria at the time. The wall paintings in village mosques of denizli provincemore.
Since alqatai is now absorbed by the urban district of cairo, the legacy of the alqatai age is solely this mosque, being very important to display the charcteristics of the great mosque of the earliest stage of islam. In cairos alsayeda zeinab district, the mosque of ibn tulun stands as imposing as when it was first constructed in 876 on top of a hill known as gabal yashkur. Directly from his palace, or dar alimara, which once stood adjoining the mosque on the qibla side, ibn tulun could enter the sanctuary via a door to the right of the minbar. It was transformed into workshops, then into an asylum for the infirm, before being restored in the early 20th century. It is the oldest mosque in egypt and africa surviving in its full original form, and is the largest mosque in cairo in terms of land area. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page.
Ahmad had the mosque built at his capital at alqata. He was born in baghdad, the son of a turkish slave of mongol origin owned by the caliph, almamun. The turkish governor of egypt and syria, ahmad ibn tulun, had it built beginning in 876. Mosque of ibn tulun cairo, egypt attractions lonely planet. Movie posters, movies, films, film poster, film books, film posters, poster, film movie, movie. Mosque of ibn tulun is the oldest mosque in cairo and in egypt. This page was last edited on december 2017, at 05. Ibn tulun drew inspiration from his homeland, particularly the ancient mosque of samarra iraq, on which the spiral minaret is modelled, as well as the use of brick. Tulun degirmenci, hacettepe university, art history department, faculty member. The mosque of ahmad ibn tulun is located in cairo, egypt. The mosque was commissioned under the rule of ahmad ibn tulun, the abbassid governor of egypt from 868884. The mosque of ibn tulun is located in cairo, egypt. Ibn tulun mosque is the oldest and best mosque in egypt, and got its name from the mamluk prince ahmed ibn tulun, a soldier of the samarra forces that was promoted to rule egypt between 868 and 883 ad. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.
The congregational mosque of ibn tulun is considered to be one of the biggest mosques in egypt whose entire surface area including the ziyada exceeds 26,318 sq m, and which is made of fired brick. The mosque was commissioned by ahmad ibn tulun and construction was completed in 879 ad. Ahmed ibn tulun mosque rare gem of islamic architecture. Apr 24, 2011 a short animation which i did in 1997 of this beautiful mudbrick mosque. Mosque of ibn tulun project gutenberg selfpublishing.
The historian almaqrizi lists the mosque s construction start date as 876. The ibn tulun mosque was completed in 879 ad on mount yashkur in a settlement named alqatai by the founder of egypts tulunid dynasty 868905 ad, ahmad ibn tulun. Mosque of ibn tulun unexpected survivor of ancient egypt. Ahmad ibn tulun mosque, not only the oldest intact functioning islamic site in cairo, but also the third mosque constructed for the entire.
Panels from sultan lajins minbar at the mosque of ibn tulun, cairo. It is also the oldest surviving mosque in the city, maintaining its original form. The mosque during the tulunid period almihrab columns arches alziyada almaydaa the minaret alfawarra inscriptions foundation inscriptions wooden inscriptions aldikka windows almaqsura the influence of the great mosque of samarra fridays in ibn tuluns. It is holds the title of 3rd largest mosque with overall area of 26, 318 square meters. Ahmad ibn tulun 83584, the son of a turkic slave in the abbasid court of bagh. This structure is a representative of the islamic belief still preserved in egypt today. Slightly more lowkey but no less beautiful is the mosque of ibn tulun in the egyptian capital. Ahmad ibn tulun, who was the governor of egypt at the time, wanted the mosque to be built on the top of the hill of thanksgiving or gebel yashkur. Continue reading this entry was posted in biographical readings, ex libris, tuluniana and tagged biographical literature, biographies, book culture, ibn tulun, libraries, manuscript circulations on september 1, 2019 by torsten wollina.
The mosque of ahmad ibn tulun is a huge redbrick mosque in cairo, egypt. Mosque of ibn tulun built in in mosque architecture, indian architecture. Mosque of ibn tulun religious cultural egypt tourist. Built by abbasid governor ahmad ibn tulun between 867 and 879, it was the centerpiece of his new city of alqata i. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun students britannica kids. Cairo ibn tulun mosque and gayeranderson museum private tour. The mosque experienced a number of mutations thereafter. His lost city and great mosque auc press, 2015, dr. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun infopediapk all facts in one site. This elegant, richly illustrated volume covers the history, architecture, folklore and cultural significance of africas longest surviving mosque. This huge congregational mosque was built in 879 by ahmad ibn tulun with the intention of accommodating his entire army during friday prayers.
His vision was to turn the area into a very grand and impressive region of egypts capital city. The mosque served as the new congregational mosque, replacing the mosque of amr, which was too small to accommodate the troops of ibn tulun. Cairo day tour to visit the mosque of ibn tulun, and explore the fascinating gayeranderson museum, housed in two fine 17th century villas. Ibn tulun immediately grasped the inventiveness of the idea and freed the christian, paying him 110,000 dinars for his work, which was not bad considering the mosque itself cost only 120,000 dinars.
Quraanic recitation gallery inside the ibn tulun mosque. In the first of the books two parts, the author puts the mosque in its historical and. The mosque itself is quite large and sits in the middle of a large square with prayer nooks. Panels from sultan lajins minbar at the mosque of ibn tulun.
Today, however, let us take a look at which other books ibn tulun called his own. Alqatai was about two kilometers from the old community of fustat. Ibn tulun mosque and gayer anderson museum ibn tulun mosque ahmed ibn tulun mosque information ibn tulun mosque is the oldest mosque built in the city and the largest mosque in terms of land area. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun kids britannica kids homework. Mosque of ibn tulun news newspapers books scholar jstor july 2017 learn how and when to remove this. From these humble origins he rose to great power, founding the tulunid dynasty 868905 ad of egypt.
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