Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque |History, Facts of the Tulunid Mosque
I want to build a building where if Egypt burns, it will remain, and if it sinks, it will remain. So, it was said to him, must be built with lime, ash, and red bricks that are strong in the fire to the ceiling, and marble pillars are not made in it; It has no patience for fire.
These were the words of Ahmed Ibn Tulun when he wanted to build his mosque and that was the advice he received from his assistants. Now we will give an idea about the builder Ahmed Ibn Tulun and we will explain the location of the Tulunid mosque and its layout and some facts about the mosque.
Ahmed Ibn Tulun (868 to 883 A.D)
Abbasid caliphates starting from Al Mutasim introduced non-Muslim Berber, Slav, and especially Turkish mercenary forces into his personal army. some of the new army officers quickly learned to control the caliphate. Ahmed Ibn Tulun was one of those Turkish slave soldiers.
Later on, Ibn Tulun was sent to Egypt as a governor by the Abbasid Caliph al-Muatazz bi-ʾllāh (866 to 869 AD). Ahmed Ibn Tulun established the first independent state in Egypt during the Abbasid period (876-879 AD).
Ibn Tulun started many economic and cultural reforms. He started by establishing a new administrative center, called al-Qata’i, where he built his mosque, currently known as the Ibn Tulun Mosque. al-Qata’i was to the northeast of the previous capital, al-Askar, and adjacent to the settlement of Fustat.
The city of al-Qata’i’ flourished for over four decades, until it was seized and destroyed by the Abbasids in 905 A.D
Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque location
Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque is located in the Saliba area between Al-Rumaila Square in the north and Al-Sayeda Zeinab Square in the south. Al Rumaila square is the Citadel Square nowadays located in front of the mosque and the school of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifai Mosque.
The mosque itself was built on the top of Mount Yashkur, in a spot famous for answering prayers, it is said that Prophet Moses spoke to God Almighty from here.
Facts about the mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun
- The Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun is considered the second oldest mosque built in Egypt
- Ibn Tulun Mosque is considered one of the largest mosques in Cairo as it was built on a large area estimated at six and a half acres
- It is also a rare well-preserved example of the art and architecture of the classical period of Islam.
- The Interior of the mosque is the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form
- The construction of the mosque began in the year 263 AH, and the construction ended in the year 265 AH
- The minaret of the mosque was built in the shape and design of the minaret of the Samarra Mosque
- The mosque was designed by a famous Egyptian Architect called Saiid Ibn Kateb Al-Farghany who was a Christian Orthodox.
- Ibn Tulun mosque is built on 26,318 sqm, which makes it the third-largest mosque in the world
- The mosque was used as a shelter for the North African pilgrims who wanted to go to the Hijaz
- There are 42 doors through which people can get into the mosque
- Four plaster mihrabs were added to the mosque later
- In the year 662 AH, during the reign of Al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari (1223/1228 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic Kipchak origin, the mosque was transformed into storage for preserving the grain and its bread
- during the reign of Muhammad Bey Abi al-Dahab, the mosque was transformed into a workshop for making woolen belts
Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque Plan
It is known that Amr Ibn El Ass Mosque in Old Cairo (El Fustat) is the oldest mosque in Egypt. Unfortunately, none of the original structures of the mosque remains today it has been rebuilt many times since the 7th century.
On the contrary side, Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque is still in its original state, and most of the works carried out were mainly to restore the damage caused by fire or natural decay.
The mosque of Ibn Tulun is almost square in shape and it measures 162 m. in length and 161 m. in width, making it one of the largest mosques in Cairo. The praying area of the mosque measures about 137 m. x 118 m.
Ibn Tulun mosque is consisting of an open square court called Sahn(92m) and is surrounded by four Riwaqs.
The mosque is surrounded by ziyadat (extensions) on 3 sides. A ziyada is an enclosed space meant to separate the mosque from the markets in order to protect the mosque and the prayers from the noise of the street.
On the qibla wall from outside, once stood the palace of Dar El Imarah (house of the government. Dar El Imarah building has three rooms that connect to the mosque by doors on either side of the mihrab.
It had its own entrance near the mihrab and Ahmed Ibn Tulun used it to enter the mosque before leading the prayer
The entrance to Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque
This mosque has 19 doors on 3 sides besides another 3 doors cut into the qibla’s wall.
The Praying Hall
The Praying Hall is a rectangle of six aisles running parallel to the Qibla wall. These aisles are divided by five arcades of pointed arches. Each one carried on 16 piers of brick and covered with plaster.
The Mihrab (Niche)
The mosque of Ibn Tulun has 5 Mihrabs, one of them is the original one in the center of the Qibla wall. The Mihrab has a pointed arch flanked by two attached columns on both sides. Plus, four more Mihrabs were added later to the mosque, two on each side of the original one.
The Sahn (Open Court)
The Sahn of the open court is in the middle of the mosque and it is square in shape and located to the south of the praying hall. The courtyard is surrounded by roofed porticoes, each portico is supported by strong piers.
Ablution Fountain
In the middle of the Sahn, there is a fountain for purification. The original built by Ahmed Ibn Tulun was gilded and stood on 10 columns of marble. The 2nd one was Al Aziz but both were destroyed. The current one was built by Sultan Lajin Al Mansouri, who also constructed other areas for the mosque.
The extensions / Ziyada
There are 3 extensions or Ziyadas of 11 meters each surrounding the mosque on its northern, eastern, and western sides. The only wall that does not have a ziyada attached is the south-eastern qibla wall. These open extensions which run along the mosque on three sides work as buffers between the bustle of the streets and the religious space inside.
The roof of Ibn Tulun Mosque
Like the Samarra mosques, Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque’s roof is flat and forms a terrace, resting directly on the tops of the walls. Immediately below the roof is the continuous wooden Kufic inscription of verses from the Qur’an. The total surviving length of the inscription is just over 2 km.
The Minaret of ibn Tulun Mosque
It is the first minaret to be built in Egypt, and it is an imitation of the minaret of Samarra mosques. The minaret of Ibn Tulun Mosque is located on the north side of the ziyada.
Ahmed Ibn Tulum asked for a minaret in a spiral shape and it became later the only spiral minaret in Cairene architecture. However, the minaret is supported by a square base and the lower portion is built of stone. The minaret is connected to the mosque by a bridge carried on horseshoe arches and stone.
Crenellations – Top of Ibn Tulun Walls
One of the most distinguishable features of the mosque is the unique crenellations. These crenellations crowned the walls of both the mosque and ziyada. Most probably these wall decorations are of Samarra influence.
Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque doors and walls
The walls of the three outer galleries
5 by the walls of the northeast outer gallery.
5 by the walls of the southwest outer gallery.
1 in the walls of the northwestern outer gallery
1 in the southeast at the middle end of the northeastern gallery, which is the entrance now in use
Doors of the mosque of Ibn Tulun
6 on the northeastern wall.
6 on the southwest wall.
4 On the eastern wall: two of them lead to two seclusions to the right and left of the minbar, followed by two other doors, one of which is closed in its place.
5 on the northwest wall.
Opening hours to visit Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque
Daily from 9:00 am to 16:00 pm
Tickets price for the visit
The entrance fee for Ahmed Ibn Tulun is free of charge
Tips for visiting Ibn Tulun Mosque
Make sure you will dress appropriately for visiting the mosques and cover up your chest, shoulders, and knees.
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