This huge congregational mosque was built in 879 by ahmad ibn tulun with the intention of accommodating his entire army during friday prayers. It was built in the 870s by ahmad ibn tulun, the ruler of egypt and syria at the time. The mosque served as the new congregational mosque, replacing the mosque of amr, which was too small to accommodate the troops of ibn tulun. The ibn tulun mosque was completed in 879 ad on mount yashkur in a settlement named alqatai by the founder of egypts. 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. Ibn tulun mosque is a rare example where europeans openly admitted its influence on the development of many features of their architecture. Alqatai was about two kilometers from the old community of fustat. 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. Since ibn tulun is an open space, it brings in a lot of sun and shadows, it is built around an open square courtyard.
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. Ahmad ibn tulun 83584, the son of a turkic slave in the abbasid court of bagh. It is also the oldest surviving mosque in the city, maintaining its original form. Mosque of ibn tulun project gutenberg selfpublishing.
The mosque itself is quite large and sits in the middle of a large square with prayer nooks. View from the minaret of the mosque of ibn tulun on the. Mosque of ibn tulun built in in mosque architecture, indian architecture. From these humble origins he rose to great power, founding the tulunid dynasty 868905 ad of egypt.
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. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The mosque was commissioned by ahmad ibn tulun and construction was completed in 879 ad. Since ibn tulun mosque has lots of open space, it brings in a lot of sun and shadows. Mentioned in every survey of islamic architecture, the mosque has never received due treatment. It was transformed into workshops, then into an asylum for the infirm, before being restored in the early 20th century. In the first of the books two parts, the author puts the mosque in its historical and. The mosque of ibn tulun was constructed by ahmed ibn tulun between ad 876 and 879 and modeled on. Movie posters, movies, films, film poster, film books, film posters, poster, film movie, movie. Tarek swelim art historian egyptology islamic art ib tulun book. Views from minaret of ibn tulun, cairo, egypt, gelatin silver print, 1916 to 1921. The turkish governor of egypt and syria, ahmad ibn tulun, had it built beginning in 876.
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. Cairo ibn tulun mosque and gayeranderson museum private tour. 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. Mosque of ibn tulun is the oldest mosque in cairo and in egypt. Ibn tulun mosque is both the oldest and the largest mosque in cairo. Mosque of ibn tulun cairo, egypt mosque, tour agency. He was born in baghdad, the son of a turkish slave of mongol origin owned by the caliph, almamun.
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. This structure is a representative of the islamic belief still preserved in egypt today. It is built around an open square courtyard which allows natural light to travel through. It was under the reign of ahmad ibn tulun that egypts status changed from a provincial abbasid caliphate to that of an independent state.
This page was last edited on december 2017, at 05. The mosque was commissioned under the rule of ahmad ibn tulun, the abbassid governor of egypt from 868884. Ibn tulun was the son of a turkish slave of mongol origins owned by the abbasid caliph almamun. His lost city and great mosque auc press, 2015, dr. 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. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun discover islamic art museum with. Mosque of ibn tulun news newspapers books scholar jstor july 2017 learn how and when to remove this. The mosque of ibn tulun is located in cairo, egypt. 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. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the. Mosque of ibn tulun religious cultural egypt tourist. The mosque of ahmad ibn tulun is a huge and majestic red brick building complex.
The mosque was commissioned in 876 ad, which makes. The mosque experienced a number of mutations thereafter. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun students britannica kids. Slightly more lowkey but no less beautiful is the mosque of ibn tulun in the egyptian capital. 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. 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. Elements such as the pointed arch, the pier, and wall battlements formed the essential ingredients of the birth of gothic architecture. 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.
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. Ahmad ibn tulun built this mosque from 870 to 879 ad in order to accommodate all of his troops. It was built on the site of presentday cairo and includes a mosque surrounded by three outer ziyadahs, or courtyards. Mosque of ibn tulun unexpected survivor of ancient egypt. 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 ahmad ibn tulun is a huge redbrick mosque in cairo, egypt. Mosque of ibn tulun is the third largest mosque in the world. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving. Sep 06, 2011 ibn tulun mosque holds the record of the oldest and largest mosque in cairo city with its original form intact. 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. An outer moatlike courtyard, originally created to keep the secular city at a distance, was at one time filled with shops and stalls. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun infopediapk all facts in one site. The historian almaqrizi lists the mosque s construction start date as 876. Mosque of ahmad ibn tulun kids britannica kids homework.
It was commissioned during the abbasid era, and although it is believed to. 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. The wall paintings in village mosques of denizli provincemore. 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 is holds the title of 3rd largest mosque with overall area of 26, 318 square meters. Ahmad had the mosque built at his capital at alqata. Quraanic recitation gallery inside the ibn tulun mosque. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. His vision was to turn the area into a very grand and impressive region of egypts capital city.
This elegant, richly illustrated volume covers the history, architecture, folklore and cultural significance of africas longest surviving mosque. Today, however, let us take a look at which other books ibn tulun called his own. Tulun degirmenci, hacettepe university, art history department, faculty member. It was designed by the prominent egyptian architect, saiid ibn kateb alfarghany, who was a christian orthodox, the same engineer who designed the nilometer. Built by abbasid governor ahmad ibn tulun between 867 and 879, it was the centerpiece of his new city of alqata i. 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. Ahmad ibn tulun mosque, not only the oldest intact functioning islamic site in cairo, but also the third mosque constructed for the entire.
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. Cairo day tour to visit the mosque of ibn tulun, and explore the fascinating gayeranderson museum, housed in two fine 17th century villas. It is one of the largest and oldest mosques in egypt. The american university in cairo press, kairo 2000, s.
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. Panels from sultan lajins minbar at the mosque of ibn tulun. Ibntuluncairo the worlds most beautiful mosques travel. 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.
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