CAIRO - Known as the city of one thousand minarets, Cairo is the seat of many mosques built in different epochs.The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the Egyptian capital, takes on a festive, colourful aura, is the best time of the year to visit such sites, particularly those in Islamic Cairo. The list includes Mosque and Madrasa of Barquq. The first of the Circassian Mamluk Sultans, Barquq assumed power in Egypt after a series of political schermes that led to the downfall (and often deaths) of the Bahri (Tartar) Mamluks. Barquq (whose name means “the plum”) assumed power in 1386AD and rescued the country from the ravages of the Black Death and related famine and political unrest. His madrasa has an octagonal minaret with marble-inlaid carved stone. One of the columns attached to the wall in the facade shows a stylised ram's head in the capital. The cruciform interior is spacious and austere, except for an ornate carved and gilded ceiling in the sanctuary (restored in modern times), and the qibla (the direction of Mecca) wall, decorated in marble dado. The mosque and the madrasa are located in Shar'a al-Mu'iz, Islamic Cairo north. Free visits are allowed daily except at prayer times. Nearby is the Mosque of al-Aqmar, whose name means “the moonlit” and refers to the way the stone catches the moon's reflection at night. Built in 1125, it is one of a few Fatimid buildings that have escaped major alterations. The shell-like recesses in the stone facade, later to become a common decorative element, were used here for the first time. This little mosque was also the first in Cairo to have an ornamented stone facade, and it was the first to alter its plan according to the existing urban structure, as the street existed before the mosque. It is also located in Shar'a al-Mu'iz in Islamic Cairo. Free daily visits are allowed except during prayers. Mosque of al-Hakim: Originally built in 1010 AD by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi Amr Allah. This gigantic mosque was restored under the aegis of the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Isma'ili Shi'a sect. Al-Hakim was an eccentric character. Some of the strangest edicts were declared during his caliphate, including a ban on mulokhia, a favourite Egyptian dish (he didn't care for it), and a ban on women's shoes, to prevent them from going out in public. Rumours began to circulate that he was claiming to be divine, creating extreme unrest among the populace. In order to quell the riots, he sent his main theologian, al-Darazi, to Syria (where he established the Druze religion), and then ordered his troops to attack Fustat, which at the time was the local town outside the royal city of al-Qahira. However, half his troops sided with the people, and the ensuing violence resulted in the burning of Fustat. He was given to riding around town on his donkey to ensure that his orders were being obeyed. One night after riding off into the Muquattam hills, he disappeared, never to be seen again, although the Druze claim that he has vanished only temporarily and will return to lead them to victory, according to Fodor's Egypt published by the American University in Cairo Press. Built outside the original walls of Cairo (those standing now were constructed in1087), the mosque had seen varied usage during its lifetime. During the Crusades, it held European prisoners of war who built a chapel inside it. Salah al-Din (1137-93) tore the chapel down when he used it as a stable. For Napoleon's troops it was a storehouse and fortress. Under Mohamed Ali in the 1800s, part of it was closed off and used as a zawya (small Sufi school). By the end of the 19th century, until the establishment of the Musuem of Islamic Arts in 1986, it was a repository for Islamic treasures. Architecturally, the mosque does not compete among the finest in the city; the most significant element is its minarets, which were restored and reinforced by Baybars II in 1303, giving them that impressive trapezoidal base. Nevertheless, its scale and history are important, and its courtyard is large and breezy, making it a comfortable place to rest or meditate. The mosque is located in Shar'a al-Mu'iz of Islamic Cairo. Dawn-dusk free visits are allowed except during prayers.
