Al Rifai Mosque
Cairo's Al Rifa'i Mosque
Islamic architectural style that these mosques were built in makes them almost homogenous and this has also made them feature in many movies. Nowadays they are tourist attractions with high wall ace windows reflecting light creating a sparkling sight when viewed from afar.
The Rifa'i Mosque is situated beside Sultan Salah al-Din al-Ayoubi Citadel which is located in Khalifa City to the south of Cairo, and the latter has cast the history of its construction and origin of its name, after Imam Ahmed al-Rifai who was born in Al-Hejaz, then went to Iraq and then settled down in Egypt; thus all those who are lucky enough to visit this mosque get amazed by the magnificent decorations on its engravings on the outer walls and huge columns at its main entrance.
The question of why Khushiyar Hanim, the mother of Khedive Ismail, chose this corner and its buildings in 1869 called Zawya al-Rifai near Salah al-Din Square in the Citadel as the resting place for some members of Muhammad Ali family including grandson King Farouk, who happened to also be Egypt’s last king and son of King Fouad who was Khedive Ismail’s son, remains a mystery to everyone.
The construction came to a halt when Khushiyar Hanim died in 1885 but resumed after a period of twenty-five years upon an order from Khedive Abbas Helmi II when it was opened for prayer on the first day of Muharram in 1330 AH /1912 AD.
The mosque has the tombs of Sheikhs Ali Abu Shabak and Yahya Al-Ansari, as well as the tombs of the royal family, where Khedive Ismail, his mother Khushiyar Hanim, interred there are King Fuad I, King Farouk I, Sultan Hussein Kamel and his wife, and the mosque's founder.
The site of the mosque was formerly “Zawiya al-Rifai”, in which Sheikh Ali Abi Shabak al-Rifai is buried, and his tomb is still in the mosque, from which the mosque took its name. The mosque is currently located in Salah al-Din Square in the Khalifa neighborhood of Cairo's Southern District.
In the opinion of an artist, this is simply decoration to divide up the geometric spaces, but it’s a fact that they happened to be present. For instance, large crosses formed on facades of high-rise mosque can only be architecturally modeled after Gothic windows while ideating their shapes architecturally, however from structural perspective they point to load-bearing principles particularly considering the exceptional height of its outer walls.
Moreover, the Gothic windows – which by their nature relate to load distribution theory – especially bear on these particularly large external wall heights showing how Egyptian tastes had accepted them. Their importance in Islamic architecture has long been known since there are finding such figures at times ‘crowned’ columns as depicted at Nasser Muhammad’s Mosque situated within Citadel surrounded by ancient building materials reflecting on its composition.
Latest Articles
Admin
Aswan Governerate in Egypt
Aswan was known as ‘Sonu’ in ancient Egyptian times, meaning market, as it was a trading centre for caravans coming to and from Nubia. In the Ptolemaic era, it was called ‘Sin’ and the Nubians called it ‘Yaba Swan’. It was also known as the Land of Gold because it served as a great treasure or tomb for the kings of Nubia who lived there for thousands of years. Before the migration, Aswan's borders extended from Asna in the east to the border of Sudan in the south, and its inhabitants were Nubians, but after the Islamic conquest of Nubia, some Arab tribes settled there.
Admin
About Luxor Governorate in Egypt
The South Upper Egyptian area is home to the Egyptian governorate of Luxor. Its capital is Luxor, which was formerly Thebes, the capital of Egypt throughout multiple pharaonic eras. Its centers and cities are spread over both sides of the Nile River. The said governorate was established by Presidential Decree No. 378 of 2009, which was promulgated on the 9th of December of that year.
Admin
History of kafr El Sheikh Governorate
Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, located in the far north of Egypt in the Nile Delta, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, is characterised by the diversity of natural life and environments, and is one of the Egyptian cities that can be visited after the end of the first semester exams at universities and schools, as it features many diverse tourist and recreational places at symbolic prices within everyone's reach.
Admin
Egypt's New Administrative Capital
The New Administrative Capital is considered the project of the era because it reflects a perfect image of the future and progress on the economic, cultural, social and civilisational level, as the capital is considered the new capital of Egypt at the present time. The importance of the New Capital is that it is a comprehensive transformation of the future of buildings, services and national and mega projects in Egypt.
Admin
Al Gharbia Governorate
The Governorate of Gharbia is inclusive in the geographical area of The Arab Republic of Egypt which is in the African continent, more specifically in the region surrounding the Nile delta, between Damietta and Rashid governance. To the control of the region from the north is Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, from the south Menoufia Governorate, from the east – Dakahlia, Qalyubia Governorates, and to the west is the Beheira Governorate.
Admin
Hamata Islands (Qulaan Archipelago) in Marsa Alam
Each reserve has several sectors. In Wadi El Gemal Reserve, there is one of the natural areas called the Hamata area or Hamata sector in Wadi El Gemal Reserve. Its sectors are the perfect and most ecological, land and water, and host countless animals and plants found in the oceans and on the land.
