Aqmar Mosque

The al - Aqmar Mosque (Arabic جامع الأقمر, DMG Ǧāmi ʿ al - Aqmar ) is one of the few remaining mosques in Cairo from the era of the Fatimids; it was built under the vizier al - Ma'mun al - Bata'ihi during the caliphate of Imam al -Amir, son of Mustansir in the years 1121-1125. The mosque is located in the north of Muizz Street, in the vicinity there are several other monuments, including the Qalawun complex as well as the mosque and Madrasa of Selihdar. al - Aqmar means " moonlight "; the building is sometimes called gray mosque.

The mosque has a square courtyard ( Sahn ). It is historically significant architecture, since it was the first mosque in the city, the facade of which is not on an axis with the qibla; while these must be aligned to Mecca, the facade follows the road. This is richly decorated with inscriptions and sculptures - it is also the first mosque in the city, which was decorated with a stone facade. This iconographic adornments are unusual for Islamic buildings and have a uniquely Shiite reference. The name of the first Shia Imam, Ali, is shown here repeatedly.

In the year 1393 (1397? ) Was the mihrab, the minbar, and the range for the ablutions of Amir al - Salimi Yalbugha, the Dawadar ( " bearer of the inkwell of the Sultan " ) of Sultan Barquq, repaired. The original minaret is no longer preserved.