E.035 Al-Azhar Mosque

Preview

Creator

Denis Baly

Creation Year

January 1963

Image ID

E.035

Alternate Identifier

B05.035

Subcollection

E - Lower Egypt, Edfu, and Bodrum

Abstract

A wall segment in the Al-Azhar mosque containing a portal reminiscent of the gates on the exterior of the Great Mosque of Cordoba (see CR.048-50). -MA

Description

"The Mosque of al-Azhar was founded by Jawhar al-Siqilly, the Fatimid conqueror of Egypt, in 970 as the congregational mosque for the new city of al-Qahira. The first khutba was delivered from its minbar in 972 and a university was established there in 988. The original structure is a hypostyle mosque, with the aisles defined by round arches on pre-Islamic marble columns (spolia) with Corinthian capitals, and with the axis to the mihrab emphasized by a wide longitudinal aisle (transept), higher than the rest of the prayer hall. The other aisles are transverse, running parallel to the qibla wall. The termination of the transept at the mihrab is marked by a dome."

References

“Jami' al-Azhar.” Archnet, archnet.org/sites/2311. Accessed 21 Sept. 2017.

Image Notes

Creation date unknown. Photograph processed September 1963. Formerly cataloged as B05.035. Notes written on the slide of index: El-Ahzar.

Image Format

35 mm slide

Geographic Reference

Cairo, Egypt