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The al-Hakim Mosque is a major Islamic religious site in Cairo
Cairo

Cairo , which means "the triumphant", is the Cairo and largest city of Egypt.It is the most populous metropolitan area in Egypt and is also one of the most populous in the world....
, Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
. It is located in "Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo

File:Muizz Street.GIFIslamic Cairo is a part of central Cairo noted for its historically important mosques and other Islamic monuments. It is overlooked by the Cairo Citadel....
", on the east side of Muizz Street
Muizz street

Al-Muizz Street in Islamic Cairo, Egypt is one of the oldest streets in Cairo, approximately one kilometer long. A United Nations study found it to have the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world....
, just south of Bab Al-Futuh
Bab Al-Futuh

Bab al Futuh is a gate in the walls of the Old City of Cairo, Egypt, facing north. It was finished in the year 1087. It stands at the northern end of Muizz Street....
 (the northern gate). It is named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah

Abu ?Ali Mansur Tariqu l-?akim, called bi Amr al-Lah , was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam .Born in 985, Abu ?Ali ?Mansur? succeeded his father Al-Aziz at the age of eleven on 14 October, 996 with the caliphal title of al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah....
 (985-1021), the sixth Fatimid
Fatimid

The Fatimid Caliphate or al-Fatimiyyun was an Arab Shi'a dynasty that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Egypt, Sicily, Malta and the Levant from 5 January 909 to 1171....
 caliph and the first to be born in Egypt.

The Mosque was originally built as an enclosure by the Fatimid vizier
Vizier

A Vizier , is a term for a high-ranking political advisor or minister, often to a Muslim monarch such as a Caliph, or Sultan. It sometimes refers to ministers and advisors of the Persian Empire's Shahs....
 Gawhar Al-Siqilli (c.928-992), but was incorporated into the extended fortifications built by Badr al-Gamali.






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The al-Hakim Mosque is a major Islamic religious site in Cairo
Cairo

Cairo , which means "the triumphant", is the Cairo and largest city of Egypt.It is the most populous metropolitan area in Egypt and is also one of the most populous in the world....
, Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
. It is located in "Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo

File:Muizz Street.GIFIslamic Cairo is a part of central Cairo noted for its historically important mosques and other Islamic monuments. It is overlooked by the Cairo Citadel....
", on the east side of Muizz Street
Muizz street

Al-Muizz Street in Islamic Cairo, Egypt is one of the oldest streets in Cairo, approximately one kilometer long. A United Nations study found it to have the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world....
, just south of Bab Al-Futuh
Bab Al-Futuh

Bab al Futuh is a gate in the walls of the Old City of Cairo, Egypt, facing north. It was finished in the year 1087. It stands at the northern end of Muizz Street....
 (the northern gate). It is named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah

Abu ?Ali Mansur Tariqu l-?akim, called bi Amr al-Lah , was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam .Born in 985, Abu ?Ali ?Mansur? succeeded his father Al-Aziz at the age of eleven on 14 October, 996 with the caliphal title of al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah....
 (985-1021), the sixth Fatimid
Fatimid

The Fatimid Caliphate or al-Fatimiyyun was an Arab Shi'a dynasty that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Egypt, Sicily, Malta and the Levant from 5 January 909 to 1171....
 caliph and the first to be born in Egypt.

The Mosque was originally built as an enclosure by the Fatimid vizier
Vizier

A Vizier , is a term for a high-ranking political advisor or minister, often to a Muslim monarch such as a Caliph, or Sultan. It sometimes refers to ministers and advisors of the Persian Empire's Shahs....
 Gawhar Al-Siqilli (c.928-992), but was incorporated into the extended fortifications built by Badr al-Gamali. It consists of an irregular rectangle with four arcades surrounding the courtyard. An unusual feature is the monumental entrance with its projecting stone porch.

The minarets

The most spectacular feature of the mosque are the minarets on either side of the facade, reminiscent of the propylon to a pharaonic temple.

Originally the two minarets stood independent of the brick walls at the corners. These are the earliest surviving minarets in the city and they have been restored at various times during their history. The massive salients were added in 1010 to strengthen their structure, and the northern minaret was incorporated into the city wall. Inside, these strange structures are hollow, for they have been built around the original minarets, which are connected with brackets and can still be seen from the minaret above.

Post-Fatimid era

At various times, the mosque was used as a prison for captured "Franks" during the Crusades
Crusades

The Crusades were a series of religious war waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents. Crusades were fought mainly against Muslims, though campaigns were also directed against Paganism Slavic peoples, Jews, Eastern Orthodox Church, Mongols, Catharism, Hussites, Waldensians, Old Prussians, and political enemi...
, as a stable by Saladin, as a fortress by Napoleon, and as a local school. In 1980 the mosque was practically rebuilt in gleaming white marble and gold trim by the Bohra, a Shi'a sect based in India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. However, remnants of the original decorations are still to be seen: stucco carvings, timber tie-beams, and Quranic inscriptions.

Today

Today the mosque is more of a tourist destination than a place of worship. Its unique minarets have attracted local and foreign tourists. Al-Hakim Mosque is now a place for Egyptians to feed pigeons and enjoy the calm and peace of the Mosque.

See also

  • Timeline of Islamic history
  • Islamic architecture
    Islamic architecture

    Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the History of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
  • Islamic art
    Islamic art

    File:Caucasian panel.jpgIslamic art encompasses the arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally Islamic populations....
  • List of mosques
    List of mosques

    A list of famous mosques around the world.Group...