مسجد الأزهر: العصر الفاطمي

• Lecture VIII: Intro to Islamic Architecture
• 3- The Fatimid Era: 358-567 AH = 969-1171 AD

Al-Azhar Mosque

• Built during 359-361 AH = 970-972 AD
• The mosque was founded by Jawhar al-Siqilli, the commander of Al-Mu'izz Li-Din Allah, the first Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, after establishing the city of Cairo.
• Construction began in Jumada I, 359 AH = 970 AD, and was completed in Ramadan, 361 AH = 972 AD.
• It is considered the first mosque established in Cairo and the oldest Fatimid monument still standing in Egypt.
• Historians disagree about the origin of the mosque's name.
• It is believed that the Fatimids named it Al-Azhar in honor of Fatima al-Zahra, the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, and in commemoration of her.
• At the time of its construction, Al-Azhar Mosque consisted of an open courtyard surrounded by three arcades, the largest of which was the Qibla arcade, composed of five rows of arches.
• Four of these rows are supported by marble columns with various capitals.
• The fifth row, overlooking the courtyard, is supported by rectangular piers.
• A raised aisle extends from the courtyard to the Qibla wall, ending with a dome covering the area in front of the mihrab.
• Originally, the eastern sides of this aisle were covered by two identical domes, but they no longer exist.
• The two side arcades each consist of three arcades supported by marble columns, except for the arches ending at the courtyard, which are supported by rectangular piers, similar to the Qibla arcade.
• Around 400 AH = 1009 AD, Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the third Fatimid caliph in Egypt, renovated Al-Azhar Mosque.
• The only remaining relic of this renovation is a wooden door preserved in the Egyptian Museum.
• In 519 AH = 1125 AD, Al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah, the seventh Fatimid caliph, ordered the creation of a portable wooden mihrab for the mosque, which is also preserved in the Egyptian Museum.
• In the late Fatimid era (12th century AD), four arcades were added to the roofed section of the mosque, surrounding the sanctuary on all four sides.
• Their arches are supported by marble columns, with a dome in the center of the eastern arcade, erected at the beginning of the cutting aisle leading to the Qibla arcade.
• The dome is decorated internally with stucco ornamentation and Kufic inscriptions containing Quranic verses.
• Many of the original stucco decorations and Kufic inscriptions remain, surrounding the arches of the middle aisle.
• The spandrels are adorned with a knot, and the hood of the old mihrab remains.
• Some of the perforated stucco windows have also been preserved, along with the Kufic inscriptions and decorations surrounding them, which can be seen at the ends of the eastern and western Qibla wall.
• The first additions to the mosque after the Fatimid era were the Al-Taybarsiyya Madrasa.
• Located on the right of the entrance from Al-Muzayyinin Gate on Al-Azhar Square, it was established by Amir Ala al-Din al-Khazindari, the commander of the armies, in 709 AH = 1309 AD.
• The most important feature of this madrasa is its marble mihrab, which is considered one of the most beautiful mihrabs due to the harmony of its parts, the precision of its craftsmanship, the harmony of the colors of the marble, the variety of its designs, and the mosaics that adorn its arch.
• Next to it is the Aqbaghawiyya Madrasa, opposite the Al-Taybarsiyya Madrasa, on the left of the entrance.
• It was built by Amir Aqbugha Abd al-Wahid, the cupbearer of King Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun, in 740 AH = 1339 AD.
• It is distinguished by its entrance, its marble mihrab, and is no less impressive than its counterpart in the Al-Taybarsiyya Madrasa.
• In 844 AH = 1440 AD, Jawhar al-Qunqaba'i established the Jawhariyya Madrasa and attached it to the mosque from the northern side.
• He made two entrances for it, one from the mosque and the other from the outside, and built a dome over a tomb beneath it.