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 Cairo has been the
capital of Egypt since the year 641 AD although it has been known by
several different names throughout. Cairo is an agglomeration of four previous
capital cities that were founded on the same basic location, all within
sight of the others. These capitals were, in order, al-Fustat, al-‘Askar,
al-Qata’i‘, and al-Qahira. The name Cairo is derived from the latter,
an Arabic word, although it is not used by the Egyptians. They prefer to
use the name Masr, derived from the word Misr, meaning Egypt. The term
Masr is extended to include all four of the cities that comprise the
present capital city of Cairo.
Al-Fustat was founded after the Arab conquest in 641. Al-Fustat was a highly strategic position selected by the Caliph ‘Umar Ibn al Khattab. This location placed the new Arab capital closer to the Arabian Peninsula than the former capital at Alexandria and closer to Roman fortress town of Babylon. The new site also facilitated communication between Upper and Lower Egypt. The commander of the Caliph’s troops, ‘Amr Ibn al-‘As, led the new military settlement and redug the canal connecting the Nile River and the Red Sea. Al-Fustat eventually developed into a large town engulfing the Roman fortress town of Babylon.
In 750, the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus and to reinforce its grip on Egypt, troops were sent to found a new capital at al-‘Askar to the North East of al-Fustat. The Abbasids also built their own mosque, the Mosque of al-‘Askar, and a new governor’s palace. The Mosque of al-‘Askar was lost in the Middle Ages. Al-‘Askar and al-‘Fustat eventually fused together forming one city. In 868, the Abbasid Caliph Ahmad Ibn Tulun was sent to Egypt. He founded a new dynasty that would last until 905 with a new capital at al-Qata’i‘, northeast of the al-Fustat – al-‘Askar complex. Ibn Tulun later built the mosque of Ibn Tulun and a citadel. Ibn Tulun constructed many other building at this time like a grand palace with gardens and a hippodrome, a stadium for horse races and polo.
Despite the Caliph’s great achievements, the Tulunid age came to an end after only 37 years when the Abbasids returned to Egypt in 905 to restore order to the Abbasid dynasty. Al-Qata’i‘ was completely destroyed with the exception of the aqueduct and the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. The fourth and final capital, al-Qahira, signifying the victorious, was established under the Isma ‘ili Shi‘a or Fatimid rule. In 969, the Fatimid Caliph, al-Mu‘izz li-Din Allah overthrew the Ikhshidids who had ruled Egypt since 934. Egypt’s new capital, al-Qahira, became the new seat of the Caliphate. |
Al-Fustat was an unplanned colony that evolved into an urban form with
the mosque of ‘Amr Ibn al ‘As at its center. The mosque was a simple
structure constructed to meet the religious needs of the troops. Built on
the site of Amr’ Ibn al ‘As’s tent, it was the first mosque in Egypt
and remains today as the oldest existing mosque in all of Africa. The
mosque was originally established as a learning center for 5,000 students
before it became a mosque. Today the mosque is very different than its
original state because it has undergone many changes and repairs
throughout its lifetime.
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun had a very simple and regular plan consisting
of a courtyard around a central fountain. The courtyard was surrounded by
four riwaqs, arcaded prayer halls, the largest being the Qibla
Riwaq. Because Ibn Tulun was sent from Baghdad, the mosque showed examples
of Mesopotamian influence. The most evident is the resemblance of the
spiraling staircase of the minaret to the Samara Mosque in Mesopotamia.
Today, almost completely preserved in its original state, the Mosque of
Ibn Tulun is the oldest and largest original mosque in Egypt.
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