mosques of Old Cairo

In the heart of Old Cairo is the Citadel; an area with the oldest fortifications, mosques, churches, Roman ruins, the police museum, and a jail.

For this tour we hired a guide with a passion for history.

Michael was excellent. If you visit us in Cairo, we recommend him very highly.

This video clip gives you a panoramic view of part of Cairo. We were standing on the ramparts of the old fortified city. You can hear school kids on a field trip as well as the voice of Michael, our tour guide. At the very end, a colleague from school recognizes "Mr. Peter."

 The fortifications were built by Saladin in 1183 to defend against the Crusaders.

Gamal Abdel Nasser, second President of Egypt was imprisoned here prior to the Egyptian Revolution in 1952.

Obligatory tourist shot  standing in front of Muhammed Ali Mosque.

The Mosque of Muhammed Ali or the Alabaster Mosque was built by Ottoman ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha who took control from the Mamluks in 1805.

Here is the dome of Muhammed Ali Mosque.

 Egyptian military officer cadets visiting the Alabaster Mosque.

At the front of the mosque is an alcove which shows the direction towards Mecca. Muslims need to face Mecca when they pray.

 

 Worshipers washed in the courtyard before

entering the mosque.

We visited the Mosque and Madrassa (school) of Sultan Hassan, a very important site.

It was built in 1363 by the Mamluks, a warrior people who evolved from slaves to rulers. Their military orientation is apparent in the openings built into the walls for defense from attack. It included four madrassas (schools) for the four rites of Islam.

The Mamluks built using whatever materials were most expedient. In this case, a column recycled from a Coptic Christian Church. Can you spot the cross?

 

The Islamic cross is integrated into the many intricate tile designs.

Next door, a relatively new mosque, El Rifai, echoes the style of the Hassan mosque.  It is the burial place of Shah Reza Pahlavi, the last ruler of Iran, as well as King Farouk, Egypt’s last king.

By the end of the day, our brains were full of history.We learned that an examination of the architecture reveals a great deal about the history of Egypt, the role of various occupiers, and how the central role that religion has always played in the life of Egyptians has determined the course of their history.