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Juyushi Mosque : Islamic
The Juyushi Mosque is located on the hill of Mokattam, where below it
is a panoramic view of Cairo. The mosque’s importance comes from its minaret
which is the oldest surviving Fatimid minaret in Egypt. It is also the first
stone built mosque in Cairo. The Juyushi mosque was built by the vizier Badr
Al-Jamali and completed in the reign of Al-Mustansir Billah in 1085.
The Juyushi mosque has an area of 270 m2 and is divided by
an axis into two symmetrical halves, except for a well that is present in the
north-eastern corner of the mosque, which was added later after the mosque’s
construction. The mosque also has a small courtyard. The main entrance to the
mosque lies at the base of the minaret and leads to a vaulted passage, which
has two rooms on its right and left sides. There’s also another entrance from
the courtyard to the mosque. Inside the mosque, there are several vaulted
ceilings which are supported by pillars. There’s also the mihrab inside the
mosque, which is beautifully decorated with decorations similar to those of the
mihrab in Al-Azhar Mosque. The mosque also has a lot of inscriptions, mostly
Quranic verses, which can be found at the entrance, at the dome and at the
mihrab. This mosque was probably used by Sufis as a monastery during the
Ottoman times.
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