The Mosque of Sultan Hasan
(1356-61 AD), pt. 1

May 27, 2006

We thought we would begin our summer-long exploration of Islamic Cairo with a stop at the most breathtaking of the monuments: the Mosque of Sultan Hasan. The mosque was constructed from 1356-61 AD, and never finished since the Sultan Hasan himself was assassinated in that final year.

The mosque as it is situated today stands right next to a much later (18th-19th century) Mosque of al-Rifa'i. But the important mosque is that of Sultan Hasan, the one shown here. It should be noted that the original dome collapsed in 1661 AD, and according to one modern interpreter:

The present dome of the Sultan Hasan is modern and is a misinterpretation of the original design. [pg. 124, Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction by Doris Behrens-Abouseif]

As one faces the front of Sultan Hasan, the view directly behind one is that of the citadel.. The monstrous Mosque of Muhammad 'Ali would not have been visible back in the 14th century, but those fortified walls would have been.

Inside the mosque is an internal open court. On each of the four sides is a large arch forming an open space where each of the four Sunni legal schools could teach. In the center is an ablution fountain.

The most ornate part of the mosque is under the great arch which faces the direction of the qiblah. Pictured here is the qiblah itself, the niche which signifies the direction which worshippers must pray in order to be praying toward Mecca. The gold script of course contains verses from the Qur'an.

Running along the wall of this iwan—that is, the one that contains the qiblah—is a decorated stucco band with more Quranic verses. Doris Behrens-Abouseif notes:

There is a similar band in the iwan of the Hanafi madrasa, but there is nothing else similar in Cairo architecture. The style is, however, typical of Quran illuminations of the period, and the architect must have been inspired by these to translate the designs into stucco. [127]

Next to the qiblah is the minbar, or pulpit, from which the Friday sermon would be given. It should be clarified now that the Sultan Hasan Mosque is a Jam'i.. or congregational mosque.. meaning that it functioned as the major mosque for its district and as the setting to which people would come on Friday for the sermon and prayers. This is in contrast to the many smaller mosques dotting the city and serving as places of prayer on a daily basis.

Some of the most elaborate craftsmanship is located above the various doorways. The above picture is from a door leading out of the central court of the mosque to some rooms on the side.

This picture is notable not only for the beautiful barefoot figure in the foreground, but also for the glimpse it affords of the intricate marble flooring of the Sultan Hasan.

Directly behind the iwan with the qiblah is the mausoleum.. placed directly beneath that inferior dome mentioned at the start of this blog. Encountering a tomb in the Mosque of Sultan Hasan, one naturally expects it to be the tomb of said Sultan Hasan.. but no. The young sultan was assassinated and his body never found. So, the ambitious mausoleum holds someone else..

Although only the mosque and mausoleum are currently open to the public, it is important to remember that much more would have gone on in this large public space. The mosque was built to house 400 students, who would have been connected to the various legal schools housed within the mosque. This corridor, leading away from the central court, looks like a narrow city alley.. and undoubtedly students would have had rooms attached to each of these windows. In other structures I hope it will be easier to get images of these living quarters.

The Sultan Hasan was built in this location since it was:

...overlooking the square where the hippodrome and horse market were located, beneath the royal residences of the Citadel. It was thus one of the most prestigious sites in Cairo, and the centerpiece of the panoramic view from al-Qasr al-Ablaq with its huge gilded window grills. [123]

But now it is hardly in the midst of prime real estate. A visitor must always mentally correct for the changes over time to neighborhoods and status..