Egyptian mosque restored to glory
Source: Agencies |
November 1, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DEVELOPERS have unveiled the restoration of a 650-year-old mosque in Cairo's old city, part of an effort to revitalize the poor district and boost tourism to the country's treasure trove of Islamic sites.
The three-year, US$1.4 million project restored the Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque, built in 1344-1345 by Aslam al-Bahai, a noble amir who rose to the position of "silahdar," or "sword-bearer" for Sultan al-Nasir Mohammed, one of the most powerful of Egypt's Mamluk rulers.
It is tucked into Cairo's al-Darb al-Ahmar district, a dense warren of narrow, dusty alleyways. Many of its 92,000 inhabitants are among the poorest in Egypt, living on less than US$1 a day, according to the Canadian Development Agency, which works in the community.
The neighbourhood is also packed with antiquities, with an Islamic monument about every 20 meters, ranging from Cairo's early days in the 11th century to more modern times.
The area is "comparable to Rome" in terms of monuments, said Luis Monreal, general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, which directed the renovation of the Aslam Mosque, unveiled on Wednesday.
A handful of American donors contributed to the conservation efforts.
The mosque was redone from floor to ceiling. Hanging lamps illuminate Islamic-style archways and smooth stone floors. Outside, elegant green and black Arabic calligraphy scrolls around the base of the mosque's prominent dome.
The three-year, US$1.4 million project restored the Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque, built in 1344-1345 by Aslam al-Bahai, a noble amir who rose to the position of "silahdar," or "sword-bearer" for Sultan al-Nasir Mohammed, one of the most powerful of Egypt's Mamluk rulers.
It is tucked into Cairo's al-Darb al-Ahmar district, a dense warren of narrow, dusty alleyways. Many of its 92,000 inhabitants are among the poorest in Egypt, living on less than US$1 a day, according to the Canadian Development Agency, which works in the community.
The neighbourhood is also packed with antiquities, with an Islamic monument about every 20 meters, ranging from Cairo's early days in the 11th century to more modern times.
The area is "comparable to Rome" in terms of monuments, said Luis Monreal, general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, which directed the renovation of the Aslam Mosque, unveiled on Wednesday.
A handful of American donors contributed to the conservation efforts.
The mosque was redone from floor to ceiling. Hanging lamps illuminate Islamic-style archways and smooth stone floors. Outside, elegant green and black Arabic calligraphy scrolls around the base of the mosque's prominent dome.
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