Mosque of Ibn Tulun

Why is Ibn Tulun special?

It is the only great mosque of early Islamic Cairo that still looks essentially as its builder intended, more than 1,100 years later. Ahmad ibn Tulun was sent to Egypt by the Abbasid caliphs in 868 and made himself practically independent, founding a new capital called al-Qata'i north-east of the older city of Fustat. His mosque, finished in 879, was the centrepiece. The rest of al-Qata'i was razed in 905 when the Abbasids reasserted control, but the mosque survived.

The older Mosque of Amr ibn al-As in Fustat has been rebuilt so many times that little of its original fabric remains, so Ibn Tulun is usually called Cairo's oldest intact mosque. Its builders came from the Abbasid capital Samarra in Iraq, and the brick construction, pointed arches and carved stucco are Iraqi rather than Egyptian in feel. Our history of Islamic Cairo puts it in context.

The mosque stands on a low rocky rise called Gebel Yashkur, which local tradition links with Noah's Ark and with Moses. Another popular story says Ibn Tulun absent-mindedly twisted a strip of paper around his finger and told his architect to copy it for the minaret; it is a legend, but it is the one every guide tells. The sheer emptiness of the courtyard, rare in crowded Cairo, is what most visitors remember.

What do you see in the courtyard and arcades?

A vast open courtyard surrounded by arcades of pointed brick arches on thick piers, decorated with carved stucco and a carved wooden Quran frieze. Walk the arcades slowly and look for:

• The stucco: every arch is edged with bands of carved plaster in the bevelled, abstract Samarra style, and the window grilles high in the outer walls are each slightly different.
• The wooden frieze: a band of sycamore wood carved with verses of the Quran runs under the ceiling of the arcades, said to be about two kilometres long in total.
• The fountain: the domed ablution fountain in the centre of the courtyard was added in 1296 by the Mamluk sultan Lajin, who restored the mosque after hiding in it while it lay abandoned.
• The mihrabs: the prayer hall holds the main mihrab plus several smaller ones added by later rulers; the main one is decorated with marble and glass mosaic of later date.
• The ziyada: the walled outer enclosure that wraps around three sides of the mosque, a buffer between the sanctuary and the street.

Can you climb the spiral minaret?

Yes, at the time of writing visitors can usually climb the minaret by its outside staircase, and the top gives one of the best views in Cairo. The minaret stands in the outer enclosure, joined to the mosque by a bridge, and its lower half is square, its upper stage cylindrical with a stair spiralling around the outside, echoing the Great Mosque of Samarra. Most scholars think the present minaret is largely Lajin's 13th-century rebuild rather than the original.

The steps are uneven and have no handrail in places, so wear proper shoes and skip it if you dislike heights. From the top you look straight across to the Citadel and the domes of Sultan Hassan, and on clear winter days to the pyramids. Access is sometimes closed for maintenance or safety, so do not plan your day around it.

When should you go, and how long do you need?

Allow 45 minutes to an hour, ideally in the morning or late afternoon when low sun throws the arches into deep shadow. Ibn Tulun is far quieter than the Citadel or Al-Azhar, and on a weekday you may share the courtyard with a handful of people. Avoid Friday midday prayers and the other prayer times. Whether a ticket is charged has varied over the years, so check egymonuments.gov.eg or ask your guide.

Shoes come off before the prayer hall (shoe covers are often provided for the courtyard), and normal mosque dress applies. The courtyard has little shade, so bring a hat and water in the warmer months. Our guide to visiting mosques in Egypt covers etiquette.

How do you get there, and what is next door?

Take a taxi to the Sayyida Zeinab district; it is about 15–30 minutes from downtown and five minutes' drive, or a 15-minute walk, from Sultan Hassan. The nearest metro station, Sayyida Zeinab on Line 1, is about a 15-minute walk through busy streets.

The Gayer-Anderson Museum is built against the mosque's south-eastern wall and is entered from the same street, so always combine the two. With the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan and the Citadel, they make an excellent half day of architecture with surprisingly few crowds.