The Friday Photo: The Oldest Mosque In Cairo
The tranquillity of Ahmed Ibn Tulun mosque came as a welcome relief from a city about which, if I’m honest, both of us have profoundly mixed feelings. There’s a sense of simmering, frustrated male rage in Cairo, which comes out not only in the demonstrations after Friday prayers — two large ones are happening today — but in the traffic, the street touts, the altercations at the kiosks…
People have prayed at this mosque for over a thousand years. I loved the sense of space, the play of light from the latticed windows on the cool arcades that frame its vast bright courtyard, and the view over this chaotic, angry city from its spiral minaret. The word “Islam” means peace, and this is a very peaceful place.
Correction about the age of the mosque, Amr ibn Al Aas Mosque is actually older, it was built right after the conquest of Egypt, whereas Ibn Tulun Mosque was built about 200 years later.
Oh and there’s lots of different kinds of frustrated rage in Egypt at the moment, not only the male kind 😉
But wasn’t Amr Ibn Al As completely rebuilt? You are, of course, right that it does predate it, but I think the current building is the oldest building that has been operating continuously.
And, oh god, yes, plenty of space for frustrated rage in Egypt at the moment. We’re no longer there but still trying to work out what is going on with the generals and the Brotherhood.