Al-Aqmar Mosque

Al-Aqmar Mosque was commissioned by the Fatimid caliph al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah in 1125 CE under the supervision of his vizier al-Ma’mun al-Bata’ihi. Its importance lies above all in the street façade, one of the oldest surviving decorated stone façades in Cairo. The architect solved a difficult urban problem by aligning the exterior with Al-Muizz Street while rotating the prayer hall behind it toward the qibla. The façade is covered with carved stone medallions, radiating niches, Kufic inscriptions and repeated references to Muhammad and Ali, reflecting the Fatimid Shi‘i context of the monument. Inside, an open courtyard is surrounded by four arcades, with the deepest on the qibla side. The mosque was restored during the Mamluk period under Sultan Barquq, and an inscription above the mihrab records this later work.