Visiting the Mosque of Ibn Tulun
With only a few weeks left in Cairo, D and I are frantically squeezing in all the sights we’ve missed so far. On Monday, our plan to go souvenir shopping got a little off-track when we ended up spending more time than we imagined at the Mosque of Ibn Tulun and the Gayer-Anderson museum, thus making us too tired to deal with bargaining for trinkets and kitsch (sorry, U.S.-based friends, we’ll haggle for your glass pyramid next week).
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is my new favorite place in Cairo (I know I say that every time I visit someplace new here). Based on the Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, the mosque was built in the late 9th century, making it Cairo’s oldest functioning Islamic monument.
I haven’t seen a spiral staircase on the outside of the minaret like this one in Cairo before.
The mosque was made of mud brick and timber. The resortation it has recently undergone was somewhat controversial.
We climbed the minaret to get a fantastic view of the city. The Citadel is to my right; the Nile to my left.
The mosque is austere and incredibly quiet even although it’s in the middle of Cairo.
Next to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun is the Gayer-Anderson museum, two 16th-century homes which were restored in the early-mid 1900s by the British major, John Gayer-Anderson. It’s a beautiful home, and since it’s next to the mosque, it shouldn’t be missed, however if you only have time to visit one traditional home in Cairo, I recommend the beautiful Beyt As-Suhaymi in Islamic Cairo.
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March 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 am
I’m bummed I won’t get to visit you in Cairo! You sure you don’t want to stay for another year or two until I can make it out? 😉
Why did you decide to leave? And what are you up to next?
I only have about 5 months to go in Japan. Eep! On the one hand it seems like forever until I’ll get back to the U.S. (in a bad way) and on the other the time since winter break has flown by and I’m worried that it will suddenly be July with me unprepared to leave.
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Yeah, we are pretty bummed to be leaving! But hopefully we’ll see you state-side in just a few month, eh?
Enjoy the rest of your time in Japan. Tannoshi, yo!