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Coordinates: 30°02′10″N 31°15′36″E / 30.036°N 31.260°E / 30.036; 31.260
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{{Short description|Mosque in Cairo, Egypt}}
{{Infobox religious building
{{Infobox religious building
|image=Bluemosque1.jpg
|image=Bluemosque1.jpg
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|caption=Courtyard or ''[[sahn]]''
|caption=Courtyard or ''[[sahn]]''
|building_name=Aqsunqur Mosque <br/> Blue Mosque
|building_name=Aqsunqur Mosque <br/> Blue Mosque
|location={{flagicon|Egypt}} Bab el-Wazir Street, Tabbana Quarter, [[Islamic Cairo]], [[Egypt]]
|location= Bab el-Wazir Street, Tabbana Quarter ([[Darb al-Ahmar]] district), [[Islamic Cairo]], [[Egypt]]
|map_type = Egypt
|map_type = Egypt
|map_caption = Location
|map_caption = Location
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|materials=Stalactite, brick, wood, marble
|materials=Stalactite, brick, wood, marble
}}
}}
The '''Aqsunqur Mosque''' (also known as the '''Blue Mosque''' or the '''Mosque of Ibrahim Agha''') is located in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] and is one of several [[Blue Mosque (disambiguation)|"blue mosques"]] in the world. It is situated in the Tabbana Quarter in [[Islamic Cairo]], between [[Bab Zuweila]] and the [[Cairo Citadel|Citadel of Saladin]] (Cairo Citadel.) The Aqsunqur Mosque also serves as a funerary complex, containing the mausoleums of its founder Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur, his sons, a number of children of the [[Bahri dynasty|Bahri Mamluk]] sultan [[al-Nasir Muhammad|an-Nasir Muhammad]] and that of its principal restorer, Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan.<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115"/>
The '''Aqsunqur Mosque''' ({{lang-ar|مسجد آق}}, {{lang-tr|Aksungur Camii}}; also known as the '''Blue Mosque''' ({{lang-ar|الجامع الأزرق}}, {{lang-tr|Mavi Cami}}) or the '''Mosque of Ibrahim Agha''' ({{lang-ar|مسجد إبراهيم أغا مستحفظان}}, {{lang-tr|İbrahim Ağa Camii}}) is located in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] and is one of several [[Blue Mosque (disambiguation)|"blue mosques"]] in the world. It is situated in the Tabbana Quarter ([[Darb al-Ahmar]] district) in [[Islamic Cairo]], between [[Bab Zuweila]] and the [[Citadel of Cairo]]. The Aqsunqur Mosque also serves as a funerary complex, containing the mausoleums of its founder Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur, his sons, a number of children of the [[Bahri dynasty|Bahri Mamluk]] sultan [[al-Nasir Muhammad|an-Nasir Muhammad]] and that of its principal restorer, Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan.<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115"/>

[[File:A cat sleeping on Aq Sunqur Shrine in the Blue mosque in Cairo.jpg|thumb|A cat sleeping on Aq Sunqur Shrine in the Blue mosque in Cairo, Photo By: Ahmed Hamed]]
==History==
==History==


===Construction under Mamluks===
===Construction under Mamluks===
⚫
[[File:Cairo Aqsunqur 4.jpg|left|thumb|Dome of Kujuk's mausoleum]]
The mosque was built in 1347 on the orders of the ''[[emir]]'' ("prince") Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur during the reign of the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk]] sultan, [[al-Muzaffar Hajji]].<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115">Behrens-Abouseif, p.115.</ref><ref name="Williams86"/> Aqsunqur was the son-in-law of former sultan [[al-Nasir Muhammad|an-Nasir Muhammad]] and one of the more prominent ''emirs'' of the latter's court. Aqsunqur's influence in the affairs of the sultanate grew during the reign of an-Nasir's successors following his death in 1340.<ref name="Williams86">Williams, p.86.</ref>
The mosque was built in 1347 on the orders of the ''[[emir]]'' ("prince") Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur during the reign of the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk]] sultan, [[al-Muzaffar Hajji]].<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115">Behrens-Abouseif, p.115.</ref><ref name="Williams86"/> Aqsunqur was the son-in-law of former sultan [[al-Nasir Muhammad|an-Nasir Muhammad]] and one of the more prominent ''emirs'' of the latter's court. Aqsunqur's influence in the affairs of the sultanate grew during the reign of an-Nasir's successors following his death in 1340.<ref name="Williams86">Williams, p.86.</ref>


Medieval [[Muslim]] historian [[al-Maqrizi]] noted Aqsunqur supervised the entire project and also participated in its actual construction. Being the former governor of [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]], he had the mosque built in a [[Syria]]n architectural style.<ref name="Abouseif116">Behrens-Abouseif, p.116.</ref> It was built around the late sultan [[Kujuk|al-Ashraf Kujuk]]'s mausoleum which had been constructed previously in 1341. The mausoleum's incorporation within the mosque accounts for the irregularity of the building's structure. Aqsunqur's grave is also located in the mosque complex along with those of his sons.<ref name="Williams86"/><ref name="Abouseif116"/> A mausoleum for Umm as-Sultan al-Sha'ban, one of an-Nasir's wives and mother of sultan Kamal Sha'ban, was built in 1359 while another tomb was built for an-Nasir's son Tankizbugha in 1362.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
Medieval [[Muslim]] historian [[al-Maqrizi]] noted Aqsunqur supervised the entire project and also participated in its actual construction. Being the former governor of [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]], he had the mosque built in a [[Syria]]n architectural style.<ref name="Abouseif116">Behrens-Abouseif, p.116.</ref> It was built around the late sultan [[Kujuk|al-Ashraf Kujuk]]'s mausoleum which had been constructed previously in 1341. The mausoleum's incorporation within the mosque accounts for the irregularity of the building's structure. Aqsunqur's grave is also located in the mosque complex along with those of his sons.<ref name="Williams86"/><ref name="Abouseif116"/>


By the 15th-century the Aqsunqur Mosque was reportedly in poor shape due to the loss of ''[[waqf]]'' ("religious endowments") funds from Syria.<ref name="Abouseif116"/> In 1412 a ''[[Sadirvan|şadirvan]]'' ("[[Ritual purification|ablution]] fountain") was built in the center of the courtyard by the Mamluk ''emir'' Tughan.<ref name="Williams86"/> Because funding was low, the Aqsunqur Mosque was used only for [[Friday prayer]]s and religious holidays.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
By the 15th century the Aqsunqur Mosque was reportedly in poor shape due to the loss of ''[[waqf]]'' ("religious endowments") funds from Syria.<ref name="Abouseif116"/> In 1412 a ''[[Sadirvan|şadirvan]]'' ("[[Ritual purification|ablution]] fountain") was built in the center of the courtyard by the Mamluk ''emir'' Tughan.<ref name="Williams86"/> Because funding was low, the Aqsunqur Mosque was used only for [[Friday prayer]]s and religious holidays.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>


===Restoration by Ottomans===
===Restoration by Ottomans===
[[File:Aqsunqur Mosque DSCF8257.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|Tomb of Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan (17th century)]]
[[Image:Blue-mosque-bradybd.JPG|thumb|right|Interior of the mosque, September 2007. The blue tiles lend the mosque its alternative name "Blue Mosque".]]
Between 1652 and 1654, during [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule, the ''emir'' Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan, who was a general of the [[Jannisary|Jannisaries]], began a major renovation project for the Aqsunqur Mosque, restoring its roof and arcades, and adding columns to support the mosque's southern prayer hall. Significantly, he decorated the building with blue and green tiles, hence the mosque's unofficial name as the "Blue Mosque".<ref name="Abouseif116"/> The tiles, which were imported from [[Constantinople]] and [[Damascus]],<ref name="Williams87">Williams, p.87.</ref> were crafted in the [[İznik pottery|Iznik style]] with floral motifs such as [[cypress tree]]s and vases holding [[tulip]]s.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
Between 1652 and 1654, during [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule, the ''emir'' Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan, who was a general of the [[Janissary|Janissaries]], began a major renovation project for the Aqsunqur Mosque, restoring its roof and arcades, and adding columns to support the mosque's southern prayer hall. Significantly, he decorated the building with blue and green tiles, hence the mosque's unofficial name as the "Blue Mosque".<ref name="Abouseif116" /> The tiles, which were imported from [[Constantinople]] and [[Damascus]],<ref name="Williams87">Williams, p.87.</ref> were crafted in the [[İznik pottery|Iznik style]] with floral motifs such as [[cypress tree]]s and vases holding [[tulip]]s.<ref name="Abouseif116" />


Ibrahim Agha built his mausoleum, which was also decorated with marble tiles, in the southern hall. It was constructed using the typical Mamluk architectural style and included a ''[[mihrab]]'' ("prayer niche") resembling the mausoleums of Mamluk ''emirs'' also located in the mosque complex. In line with Ottoman tradition at the time, the Aqsunqur Mosque was officially renamed after its restorer as the "Ibrahim Agha Mosque." The latter name was not used frequently.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
Ibrahim Agha built his mausoleum, which was also decorated with marble tiles, in the southern hall. It was constructed using the typical Mamluk architectural style and included a ''[[mihrab]]'' ("prayer niche") resembling the mausoleums of Mamluk ''emirs'' also located in the mosque complex. In line with Ottoman tradition at the time, the Aqsunqur Mosque was officially renamed after its restorer as the "Ibrahim Agha Mosque." The latter name was not used frequently.<ref name="Abouseif116" />


===Modern era===
===Modern era===
In 1908 the Aqsunqur Mosque was restored by the [[Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe]]. The [[1992 Cairo earthquake]] damaged the arches of the mosque's [[portico]]es, but they were reinforced by the Egyptian government in the mid-1990s to prevent additional deterioration.<ref name="WMF">[http://www.wmf.org/project/jama%E2%80%99-al-aqsunqur-blue-mosque Jama'ah al-Aqsunqur: Preserving an Early Mamluk Monument and Its Exceptional Iznik Decoration]. [[World Monuments Fund]].</ref>
In 1908 the Aqsunqur Mosque was restored by the [[Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe]]. The [[1992 Cairo earthquake]] damaged the arches of the mosque's [[portico]]es, but they were reinforced by the Egyptian government in the mid-1990s to prevent additional deterioration.<ref name="WMF">[http://www.wmf.org/project/jama%E2%80%99-al-aqsunqur-blue-mosque Jama'ah al-Aqsunqur: Preserving an Early Mamluk Monument and Its Exceptional Iznik Decoration]. [[World Monuments Fund]].</ref>
[[File:Mosquée bleue.jpg|thumb|left|Mosquée bleue]]
⚫
The [[Aga Khan Trust for Culture]] (AKTC) in conjunction with the [[World Monuments Fund]] began a restoration project of the mosque in 2009.<ref name="Williams87"/> The Mosque opened to the public in May 2015 after the completion of a six-year renovation project. The mosque was inaugurated in presence of Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty, the [[Aga Khan]], the Chairman of the [[Aga Khan Development Network]], and Cairo governor Galal Saeed.


⚫
The [[Aga Khan Trust for Culture]] (AKTC) in conjunction with the [[World Monuments Fund]] began a restoration project of the mosque in 2009.<ref name="Williams87" /> The Mosque opened to the public in May 2015 after the completion of a six-year renovation project. The mosque was inaugurated in presence of Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty, the [[Aga Khan]], the Chairman of the [[Aga Khan Development Network]], and Cairo governor Galal Saeed.
⚫
Renovation work focused structural stability, conservation of the interior and roof repair.<ref name="WMF"/> Today, the Aqsunqur Mosque is a major destination for tourists visiting Egypt.<ref>Williams, p.85.</ref>


⚫
Renovation work focused structural stability, conservation of the interior and roof repair.<ref name="WMF" /> Today, the Aqsunqur Mosque is a major destination for tourists visiting Egypt.<ref>Williams, p.85.</ref>
⚫
==Architecture==
⚫
[[File:Cairo Aqsunqur 3.jpg|thumb|right|The dome of Kujuk's mausoleum and the mosque's [[minaret]] ]]


⚫
==Architecture==
===Exterior===
===Exterior===
{{Multiple image
⚫
The general layout of the mosque consists of a large open courtyard (''sahn'') enclosed by four arcades (''[[Riwaq (arcade)|riwaq]]s.'')<ref name="Williams86"/> There are three main entrances with the main [[portal (architecture)|portal]] opening into the western arcade. The latter consists of a large pointed [[arch]] with corbels on the front edges of its roof. Facing the courtyard is the ''[[dikka]]'' ("tribune") from which the [[Qur'an]] is recited. The structure uses [[Western Europe]]an-style capitals that Islamic architecture expert Doris Behrens-Abouseif believes were taken from [[Crusades|Crusader]]-era structures in the [[Levant]].<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
| total_width = 440
| image1 = Aqsunqur DSCF8246.jpg
| caption1 = Exterior, with the domed mausoleum of Kujuk on the left and the minaret on the right
| image2 = Aqsunqur Mosque DSCF8248.jpg
| caption2 = Polychrome stonework on the exterior of the mausoleum
}}
⚫
The general layout of the mosque consists of a large open courtyard (''[[sahn]]'') enclosed by four arcades (''[[Riwaq (arcade)|riwaq]]s'').<ref name="Williams86" /> There are three main entrances with the main [[portal (architecture)|portal]] opening into the western arcade. The latter consists of a large pointed [[arch]] with corbels on the front edges of its roof. Facing the courtyard is the ''[[dikka]]'' ("tribune") from which the [[Qur'an]] is recited. The structure uses [[Western Europe]]an-style capitals that Islamic architecture expert Doris Behrens-Abouseif believes were taken from [[Crusades|Crusader]]-era structures in the [[Levant]].<ref name="Abouseif116" />


Kujuk's mausoleum is situated at the portal's northern side and has two [[facade]]s facing the street. Of the two alternative entrances, one opens into the southern arcade while the other opens between the northern and western arcades.<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115"/> Unlike other tombs in Cairo, Kujuk's mausoleum, which predates the mosque, is not aligned according to the ''[[qibla]]'' ("orientation with [[Mecca]]") and instead is aligned with the street. This structure is the principal feature unique to other major mosques in Egypt.<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115"/>
Kujuk's mausoleum is situated at the portal's northern side and has two [[facade]]s facing the street. Of the two alternative entrances, one opens into the southern arcade while the other opens between the northern and western arcades.<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115" /> Unlike other tombs in Cairo, Kujuk's mausoleum, which predates the mosque, is not aligned according to the ''[[qibla]]'' ("orientation with [[Mecca]]") and instead is aligned with the street. This structure is the principal feature unique to other major mosques in Egypt.<ref name="Behrens-Abouseif115" />


Above the prayer hall sits a brick one-bay [[dome]] carried on four brick [[squinch]]es. A large brick dome supported by brick squinches is also situated atop the mausoleum of Kujuk. However, the latter has a [[pendentive]] below each squinch. When the mosque was originally built this technique of using plain squinches was considered classical.<ref name="ADL"/> Two stone domes are located over the mausoleum of Tankizbugha and another stone dome is built above the tomb of Umm as-Sultan al-Sha'ban.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
Above the prayer hall sits a brick one-bay [[dome]] carried on four brick [[squinch]]es. A large brick dome supported by brick squinches is also situated atop the mausoleum of Kujuk. However, the latter has a [[pendentive]] below each squinch. When the mosque was originally built this technique of using plain squinches was considered archaic.<ref name="ADL" />


===Interior===
===Interior===
[[File:Cairo Aqsunqur 6.jpg|thumb|right|One of the Aqsunqur Mosque's arcades]]
[[File:Aqsunqur Mosque DSCF8255.jpg|left|thumb|Courtyard of the mosque (looking east, with prayer hall on the right)]]
⚫
The mosque's interior also has an irregular layout mostly due to Ibrahim Agha's renovations which replaced most of the original [[cross-vault]]ing of the arcades with columns supporting a flat wooden ceiling. The only part of the mosque that continues to employ Aqsunqur's interior design is the ''qibla'' wall which uses cross-vaults that rest on octagonal-shaped piers.<ref name="Williams86"/> The technique of cross-vaults is a reflection of Islamic Syrian architectural influence. Along with the [[Mosque of Amir al-Maridani]], the Aqsunqur Mosque has a [[hypostyle]] plan which is rare in Cairo and typically associated with Syrian style mosques.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>
[[File:Cairo Aqsunqur 1.jpg|thumb|right|The ''[[mihrab]]'' (left) and ''[[minbar]]'' (right) of the mosque]]
[[File:Aqsunqur Mosque DSCF9667.jpg|thumb|''[[Mihrab]]'' (center) and ''[[minbar]]'' (right) of the mosque, surrounded by [[Iznik tiles]] from the 17th-century Ottoman renovation]]
⚫
The mosque's interior also has an irregular layout mostly due to Ibrahim Agha's renovations which replaced most of the original cross-vaulting of the arcades with columns supporting a flat wooden ceiling. The only part of the mosque that continues to employ Aqsunqur's interior design is the ''qibla'' wall which uses cross-vaults that rest on octagonal-shaped piers.<ref name="Williams86"/> The technique of cross-vaults is a reflection of Islamic Syrian architectural influence. Along with the [[Mosque of Amir al-Maridani]], the Aqsunqur Mosque has a [[hypostyle]] plan which is rare in Cairo and typically associated with Syrian style mosques.<ref name="Abouseif116"/>

The ''[[mihrab]]'' ("prayer niche" that indicates ''qibla'') was built in a geometric [[interlace (art)|interlace]] style typically found in Mamluk architecture. The design is used in the ''mihrab's'' [[spandrel]]s. Other features of the ''mihrab'' include the hood's relief painted carvings, fluctuating [[lintel (architecture)|lintel]] panels, marble panels, carved marble [[register (sculpture)|register]]s and [[mosaic]] inlay.<ref name="Williams87"/> To the right of the ''mihrab'' is the marble ''[[minbar]]'' ("pulpit.") Decorated with light gray, [[salmon (color)|salmon]], green and plum-colored stone inserts, it is the oldest and one of the handful remaining marble ''minbars'' used in a Cairo mosque. The handrail is also built of marble and has a pattern of rolling leaf and grape clusters carved from the stone.<ref name="Williams87"/>
The ''[[mihrab]]'' ("prayer niche" that indicates ''qibla'') was built in a geometric [[interlace (art)|interlace]] style typically found in Mamluk architecture. The design is used in the ''mihrab's'' [[spandrel]]s. Other features of the ''mihrab'' include the hood's relief painted carvings, fluctuating [[lintel (architecture)|lintel]] panels, marble panels, carved marble [[register (sculpture)|register]]s and [[mosaic]] inlay.<ref name="Williams87"/> To the right of the ''mihrab'' is the marble ''[[minbar]]'' ("pulpit.") Decorated with light gray, [[salmon (color)|salmon]], green and plum-colored stone inserts, it is the oldest and one of the handful remaining marble ''minbars'' used in a Cairo mosque. The handrail is also built of marble and has a pattern of rolling leaf and grape clusters carved from the stone.<ref name="Williams87"/>


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==See also==
==See also==
⚫
* [[ Lists of mosques ]]
* [[ List of mosques in Africa]]
* [[ List of mosques in Egypt]]
*[[Islamic architecture]]
*[[Islamic architecture]]
⚫
*[[List of mosques]]
*[[Sultan Ahmed Mosque]]
*[[Sultan Ahmed Mosque]]
*[[Timeline of Islamic history]]
*[[Timeline of Islamic history]]
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==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
{{Commons category|Aqsunqur Mosque}}
{{Commons category}}
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{Citation|last=Behrens-Abouseif|first=Doris|title=Architecture of the Bahri Mamluks|publisher=BRILL|year=1989|type = PDF document}}
*{{Citation|last=Behrens-Abouseif|first=Doris|title=Architecture of the Bahri Mamluks|publisher=BRILL|year=1989|type = PDF document}}
*{{Citation|title=Islamic monuments in Cairo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cmc4HSC5XWgC&dq=Sangar+al-Gawli&source=gbs_navlinks_s|first1=Caroline|last1=Williams|year=2008|publisher=American University of Cairo Press|isbn=9774162056}}
*{{Citation|title=Islamic monuments in Cairo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cmc4HSC5XWgC&q=Sangar+al-Gawli|first1=Caroline|last1=Williams|year=2008|publisher=American University of Cairo Press|isbn=978-9774162053}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


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{{Mausoleums in Egypt}}
{{Mausoleums in Egypt}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1347]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1347]]
[[Category:14th-century mosques]]
[[Category:14th-century mosques]]
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[[Category:Mausoleums in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mamluk architecture in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mamluk architecture in Egypt]]
[[Category:Ottoman architecture in Egypt]]
[[Category:Ottoman mosques in Egypt]]
[[Category:Religious buildings with domes]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes]]
[[Category:1347 establishments]]
[[Category:1347 establishments]]
[[Category:14th-century establishments in the Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)]]
[[Category:14th-century establishments in the Mamluk Sultanate]]
[[Category:14th-century establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:14th-century establishments in Egypt]]

Latest revision as of 09:00, 26 January 2024

Aqsunqur Mosque
Blue Mosque
Courtyard or sahn
Religion
AffiliationIslam
DistrictCairo Governorate
RegionÄgypten
StatusActive
Standort
StandortBab el-Wazir Street, Tabbana Quarter (Darb al-Ahmar district), Islamic Cairo, Egypt
Aqsunqur Mosque is located in Egypt
Aqsunqur Mosque
Standort
Geographic coordinates30°02′10″N 31°15′36″E / 30.036°N 31.260°E / 30.036; 31.260
Architecture
Architect(s)Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur
TypMosque
StyleMamluk, Ottoman
Completed1347, then early 1652
Specifications
Dome(s)5
Minaret(s)1
MaterialsStalactite, brick, wood, marble

The Aqsunqur Mosque (Arabic: مسجد آق, Turkish: Aksungur Camii; also known as the Blue Mosque (Arabic: الجامع الأزرق, Turkish: Mavi Cami) or the Mosque of Ibrahim Agha (Arabic: مسجد إبراهيم أغا مستحفظان, Turkish: İbrahim Ağa Camii) is located in Cairo, Egypt and is one of several "blue mosques" in the world. It is situated in the Tabbana Quarter (Darb al-Ahmar district) in Islamic Cairo, between Bab Zuweila and the Citadel of Cairo. The Aqsunqur Mosque also serves as a funerary complex, containing the mausoleums of its founder Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur, his sons, a number of children of the Bahri Mamluk sultan an-Nasir Muhammad and that of its principal restorer, Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan.[1]

History

[edit]

Construction under Mamluks

[edit]
Dome of Kujuk's mausoleum

The mosque was built in 1347 on the orders of the emir ("prince") Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur during the reign of the Mamluk sultan, al-Muzaffar Hajji.[1][2] Aqsunqur was the son-in-law of former sultan an-Nasir Muhammad and one of the more prominent emirs of the latter's court. Aqsunqur's influence in the affairs of the sultanate grew during the reign of an-Nasir's successors following his death in 1340.[2]

Medieval Muslim historian al-Maqrizi noted Aqsunqur supervised the entire project and also participated in its actual construction. Being the former governor of Tripoli, he had the mosque built in a Syrian architectural style.[3] It was built around the late sultan al-Ashraf Kujuk's mausoleum which had been constructed previously in 1341. The mausoleum's incorporation within the mosque accounts for the irregularity of the building's structure. Aqsunqur's grave is also located in the mosque complex along with those of his sons.[2][3]

By the 15th century the Aqsunqur Mosque was reportedly in poor shape due to the loss of waqf ("religious endowments") funds from Syria.[3] In 1412 a şadirvan ("ablution fountain") was built in the center of the courtyard by the Mamluk emir Tughan.[2] Because funding was low, the Aqsunqur Mosque was used only for Friday prayers and religious holidays.[3]

Restoration by Ottomans

[edit]
Tomb of Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan (17th century)

Between 1652 and 1654, during Ottoman rule, the emir Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan, who was a general of the Janissaries, began a major renovation project for the Aqsunqur Mosque, restoring its roof and arcades, and adding columns to support the mosque's southern prayer hall. Significantly, he decorated the building with blue and green tiles, hence the mosque's unofficial name as the "Blue Mosque".[3] The tiles, which were imported from Constantinople and Damascus,[4] were crafted in the Iznik style with floral motifs such as cypress trees and vases holding tulips.[3]

Ibrahim Agha built his mausoleum, which was also decorated with marble tiles, in the southern hall. It was constructed using the typical Mamluk architectural style and included a mihrab ("prayer niche") resembling the mausoleums of Mamluk emirs also located in the mosque complex. In line with Ottoman tradition at the time, the Aqsunqur Mosque was officially renamed after its restorer as the "Ibrahim Agha Mosque." The latter name was not used frequently.[3]

Modern era

[edit]

In 1908 the Aqsunqur Mosque was restored by the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe. The 1992 Cairo earthquake damaged the arches of the mosque's porticoes, but they were reinforced by the Egyptian government in the mid-1990s to prevent additional deterioration.[5]

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in conjunction with the World Monuments Fund began a restoration project of the mosque in 2009.[4] The Mosque opened to the public in May 2015 after the completion of a six-year renovation project. The mosque was inaugurated in presence of Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty, the Aga Khan, the Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, and Cairo governor Galal Saeed.

Renovation work focused structural stability, conservation of the interior and roof repair.[5] Today, the Aqsunqur Mosque is a major destination for tourists visiting Egypt.[6]

Architecture

[edit]

Exterior

[edit]
Exterior, with the domed mausoleum of Kujuk on the left and the minaret on the right
Polychrome stonework on the exterior of the mausoleum

The general layout of the mosque consists of a large open courtyard (sahn) enclosed by four arcades (riwaqs).[2] There are three main entrances with the main portal opening into the western arcade. The latter consists of a large pointed arch with corbels on the front edges of its roof. Facing the courtyard is the dikka ("tribune") from which the Qur'an is recited. The structure uses Western European-style capitals that Islamic architecture expert Doris Behrens-Abouseif believes were taken from Crusader-era structures in the Levant.[3]

Kujuk's mausoleum is situated at the portal's northern side and has two facades facing the street. Of the two alternative entrances, one opens into the southern arcade while the other opens between the northern and western arcades.[1] Unlike other tombs in Cairo, Kujuk's mausoleum, which predates the mosque, is not aligned according to the qibla ("orientation with Mecca") and instead is aligned with the street. This structure is the principal feature unique to other major mosques in Egypt.[1]

Above the prayer hall sits a brick one-bay dome carried on four brick squinches. A large brick dome supported by brick squinches is also situated atop the mausoleum of Kujuk. However, the latter has a pendentive below each squinch. When the mosque was originally built this technique of using plain squinches was considered archaic.[7]

Interior

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Courtyard of the mosque (looking east, with prayer hall on the right)

The mosque's interior also has an irregular layout mostly due to Ibrahim Agha's renovations which replaced most of the original cross-vaulting of the arcades with columns supporting a flat wooden ceiling. The only part of the mosque that continues to employ Aqsunqur's interior design is the qibla wall which uses cross-vaults that rest on octagonal-shaped piers.[2] The technique of cross-vaults is a reflection of Islamic Syrian architectural influence. Along with the Mosque of Amir al-Maridani, the Aqsunqur Mosque has a hypostyle plan which is rare in Cairo and typically associated with Syrian style mosques.[3]

Mihrab (center) and minbar (right) of the mosque, surrounded by Iznik tiles from the 17th-century Ottoman renovation

The mihrab ("prayer niche" that indicates qibla) was built in a geometric interlace style typically found in Mamluk architecture. The design is used in the mihrab's spandrels. Other features of the mihrab include the hood's relief painted carvings, fluctuating lintel panels, marble panels, carved marble registers and mosaic inlay.[4] To the right of the mihrab is the marble minbar ("pulpit.") Decorated with light gray, salmon, green and plum-colored stone inserts, it is the oldest and one of the handful remaining marble minbars used in a Cairo mosque. The handrail is also built of marble and has a pattern of rolling leaf and grape clusters carved from the stone.[4]

Minaret

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The minaret is situated at the southern corner of the facade looking into Bab al-Wazir Street, affording a dominant view of the entire southern part of the street.[7] It consists of three stories, the first being circular and plain and the second circular and ribbed while the top story is a bulb resting on a pavilion supported by eight slender stone columns. Its circular shaft is rare among Mamluk minarets.[3] Prior to its 20th-century restoration, the minaret had four stories. The third story was octagonal and removed during the restoration, depriving the Aqsunqur Mosque a unique feature it shared with another mosque in Cairo, the Sultan al-Ghuri Complex which has four stories.[7] The Aqsunqur Mosque minaret was featured in several 19th-century illustrations.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Behrens-Abouseif, p.115.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Williams, p.86.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Behrens-Abouseif, p.116.
  4. ^ a b c d Williams, p.87.
  5. ^ a b Jama'ah al-Aqsunqur: Preserving an Early Mamluk Monument and Its Exceptional Iznik Decoration. World Monuments Fund.
  6. ^ Williams, p.85.
  7. ^ a b c Amir Aqsunqur Funerary Complex Archived October 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. ArchNet Digital Library.

Bibliography

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aqsunqur Mosque.
  • Behrens-Abouseif, Doris (1989), Architecture of the Bahri Mamluks (PDF document), BRILL
  • Williams, Caroline (2008), Islamic monuments in Cairo, American University of Cairo Press, ISBN 978-9774162053
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