After more than a decade of restoration three mosque complexes in the Al-Sayeda Zeinab district of Cairo have officially reopened. Nevine El-Aref attended the inauguration While the whole of Cairo is busy shopping for kunafa and qatayef as well as other Ramadan recipes, a group of archaeologists and officials, led by Culture Minister Farouk Hosni and Parliament Speaker Fathi Sorour, stood at the feet of the mosques of Qait Bey, Hassan Pasha Taher and Qanibay Al-Ramah to announce their official reopening. The inauguration on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan came in time to provide more mosques for worshippers. The mosques were hidden under scaffolding and piles of sand for 14 years, ever since the earthquake of 1992 brought destruction to the area. These Mediaeval mosques have undergone repair under an ambitious restoration programme launched by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) to rescue Islamic monuments damaged by the 1992 earthquake. The project to remove the signs of time that have taken a heavy toll on these historic edifices began six years ago. The harm that had to be addressed and rectified was caused by misuse of the area by residents and worshippers, environmental pollution -- including groundwater which had undermined their foundations -- and the adverse effect of the earthquake which caused severe cracks. Hosni said the leakage of water from the madiaa (a fountain used for ritual ablution), the outdated sewage system and the encroachment of traders on both historical buildings over the centuries were the most serious causes of the damage. The cracked walls and masonry and the condition of the ceiling and the water fountain was critical. The ceiling decorations were heavily stained with smoke, while most of the flooring was broken. "The triad mosques, which are a gift from the unequalled treasure house of Islamic architecture, had been closed to prayer and visitors," Hosni said. Abdel-Khaleq Mokhtar, director-general of archaeological sites in south Cairo, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the main aim of the restoration carried out by the SCA was to strengthen the foundations and protect them from future damage. This was achieved using a micro-pile system which, Mokhtar said, involved the installation of sharp pointed columns beneath both complexes to reinforce their foundations. The walls were also reinforced, missing and decayed stones replaced and masonry cleaned and desalinated. Parts of the damaged marble floor of the water fountain have been dismantled, restored and replaced in the original position. All encroachments on the Qait Bey complex, which consists of a mosque, madrassa and sabil kuttab, have been removed to reveal for the first time remains of the mosque's original steps, the water fountain of the madiaa, the sabil kuttab and the animals' water trough. The Hassan Pasha Taher Mosque at Berket Al-Fil in Al-Sayeda Zeinab is another example of Mameluke architecture. The whole mosque has been restored but the minaret, which had collapsed, has been dismantled, restored and re-erected to its original position on top of the monument. Missing fragments of Qur'anic texts embellishing the mosque have been replaced, and the authentic marble floor has been cleaned and missing pieces replaced. The Qanibay Al-Ramah Mosque was the third to be reopened. This had also been affected by the 1992 earthquake. Before that, however, in 1989, when underground water which had leaked under the mosque was pumped out, the soil under the mosque foundations was disturbed and the edifice began to collapse. The blocks were removed to the Bab Al-Azab area at the citadel. In 1995 the SCA launched a restoration project to rebuild the mosque and it now stands as proudly as in its former days of glory. "I am very proud that both mosques have regained their original youth. I could easily smell the aroma of Islamic history in both monuments," SCA Secretary-General Zahi Hawass said. "Every effort was made to ensure that all original architectural features were retained." Hawass added that the restoration of these mosques had two important advantages: individual monuments were being preserved for future generations, and the entire neighbourhood was being revived and upgraded.
