The oldest mosque in Cairo, Ibn Tulun, enjoys special honor and respect. Fortress-like, the oldest in the city, it was founded in 879. The mosque was not rebuilt. As they say in Cairo, its architecture conveys the spirit and era of early Egypt. She is the most primordial Islamic - simple and a little mysterious.
In 870, the ruler Ahmed ibn Tulun founded the third Islamic capital, Al-Qatai, and built a giant mosque in the city. He did not expect that it would survive for centuries and become the property of not only Cairo, but all of Africa. There are several legends about the place of its foundation. According to one of them, the governor of Tulun chose a hill for the mosque, in the place of which the biblical Abraham wanted to sacrifice his son Isaac. According to another legend, the ark of righteous Noah stopped exactly on this hill after the Flood, where the righteous man set all people and animals free. But these are all legends.
In fact, the mosque was specially built on a hill so that it would be higher than all other city buildings, closer to Allah, and besides that, it must protect itself. Two rows of battlements adorn the mosque and serve as protection from enemies. There are 20 heavy wooden gate-entrances in the walls.
Tulun loved his mosque, was proud of it. Often he received guests there. One day he sat with the invited persons and ran his finger over the parchment. Some of the guests dared to ask what he was doing. The ruler replied that he was designing a minaret that would stand near the mosque. Thus, a minaret appeared at the structure, which stands alone. But this is rather another legend about the ancient mosque and its founder. In any case, the minaret near the outer side of the mosque with arches and ledges does not look like the usual slender minarets of the East.
The Ibn Tulun Mosque grew old over the years, the walls were weathered, the gates were dilapidated, it was restored several times. The first known restoration took place in 1117 by order of the vizier Badr al-Jamali. Then, during the reign of Sultan Dajin in 1296, renovations were carried out in it again. But no new buildings were made for the mosque.
Thus, the Ibn Tulun Mosque has preserved its original appearance for many centuries, which tourists can still see today.
