Islamic heritage · Cairo
Al-Aqmar Mosque
The "Moonlit Mosque" on al-Mu'izz Street, a gem of Fatimid architecture with an exquisitely decorated façade and an inventive plan dating to 1125.
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The story
The mosque was built in 1125 by the Fatimid vizier al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi under Caliph al-Amir, as a neighbourhood mosque on al-Mu'izz Street close to the former Fatimid palaces. It is called al-Aqmar, "the moonlit", said to refer to the pale stone that resembles the moon. Its façade follows the line of the street while the interior is angled to face the qibla, an arrangement regarded as an innovation and later copied in other Cairo mosques. It is counted among the major monuments of Fatimid architecture for its decorated façade and innovative plan.
Good to know
- The name al-Aqmar means "moonlit"; it is said to come from the colour of its white stone.
- Al-Maqrizi is reported to say it was built on the site of an old monastery known as Bir al-Azama.
- Its entrance is described as showing, for the first time in Cairo mosque architecture, the interlocking arch that later spread in Mamluk building.
- The façade carries continuous bands of ornate Kufic inscription, and an openwork medallion above the door names Muhammad and Ali.