The Mosque of Al-Mu’ayyad was built by Sultan Al-Muayyad Sayf ad-din Shaykh. Sultan Al-Muayyad was the Sultan of Egypt from 1412 till 1421. He was a powerful and humble sultan whose reign was not short of challenges, such as the bubonic plague, but nonetheless, he was able to keep Egypt under control.

The site of the mosque was originally a prison, and Sultan Al-Muayyad himself was imprisoned in it. After suffering badly from fleas and lice while in that prison, Al-Muayyad vowed to turn this place into a “saintly place” if he ever got the chance to. So after Sultan Faraj was overthrown, Al-Muayyad was given the chance to keep his word and he turned that prison into one of the most extravagant mosques. The mosque was built between 1415 and 1421 and cost around 40,000 dinars.

The mosque of Sultan Al-Muayyad was built on the edge of Old Cairo, to the degree that a part of the wall surrounding the city had to be demolished to complete the mosque. There is a part of the demolished wall that exists inside the mosque and can be seen. The mosque is very close to Bab Zuweila, one of the main entrances to the city of Cairo, and its two minarets are built on top of the towers of Bab Zuweila. The main portal of the mosque is beautifully framed with marble and decorated with arabic scripture. The main door is a masterpiece of this mosque. It was originally taken from the mosque of Sultan Hassan. The mosque’s state was not a good one for a long time after its construction due to some conflict with rebels that damaged the mosque. The eastern facade of the mosque is the only one surviving today from its Fatimid time and is a scene not to be missed due to its wonderful decorations.

On the inside, the mosque is also heavily decorated as it is on the outside. The mosque was intended to be a funerary and a prayer place. It has a madrasa that taught students in the four madhabs. The wall decoration of the prayer hall was one of the best of its time, being covered in decorations and marble that covered even the highest points of the wall reaching the mihrab’s top. Also the pavilion of this mosque is very remarkable, being one of the biggest of any mosque in the area, and it has a fountain in its center. There is also a room which was for Al-Muayyad and his son and another room for the women. Al-Muayyad’s room has a domed ceiling while the other room has a flat ceiling.

The mosque was renovated on a few occasions, one of which increased the prayer space to around triple its area. Visitors should note that not all of what is seen today is original to the mosque’s first state.