Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Islamic Architecture in Cairo An Introduction

    Uploaded by

    api-3747360
    173 views166 pages

    Original Title

    Islamic Architecture in Cairo an Introduction

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    173 views166 pages

    Islamic Architecture in Cairo An Introduction

    Uploaded by

    api-3747360

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 166
    CHAPTER ONE THE CITY Cain's archtectral monuments rank among human ity's grea achievements Recognising that their pres ‘ation is 4 mater of importance to the whole world, UNESCO has Fisted the Egyptian capital as one ofthe "Cities of Human Heritage.” Such resgaiton swell jusied, for few cites on earth display scl 8 dense Concentration of historic architectural treasures a does Cairo “This concentration reflets the political situation of Isic Egypt, which never had another capital outside the space aceupied hy the ety we now call Cait His ‘orians describe series of eapitalctes—al-Fustat, a ‘Askar, al-Qayei and al Qahira—but al ofthese were within sight of ove another and eventually became a Single city Caieo has been dhe uniaterrpted center of poser in Baype since the year 6H Continnous, centelized prover in one area distin gushes Egypt from other Ilan nations suchas Sycia, Teng, Anatolia, Andalusia, and Persia, where diferent ‘iter vied for supremacy in dlferent epochs, sometimes Simultaneously Main Baypt was rled fron 2 sngle site, the area between the mosque of “Ame in the south and Bab al-Nasr and Bab ab Fata to the worth Owe Fide this aren very few medieval buildings of interes have survived, while’ within it, a large number of Hgype’s medieval and pestnedieval monument all sand, winesses fo. more shan eleven centuries of history ACFusttr, aAsieae, at-Qura't What we today call Calva, or ab-Qahira, is an agglomeration of four cites Jounded within the aiea Te name a-Qshira did not exis uni the lst ofthese Wwab created in 969 as vapital of Eyypt under the Fatiids Before this city came a micesson of capitals beginning wid al Fast (b41), the Abbasid foundation of alAskar (780), and the Tuluni esabishment of al Qasr (870) |AbPostat was founded as the eapital of Egypt just, ater the Arab conquest of Egypt Its location wa 4 strategie decision by the Cap “Unnat Tb l-Khatab in Medina, for abough Alesandiia was capital of aypeat the de ol dhe conquest, the Caliph preferred to seule his oops aan sera lest remote fom the Ars bian Peninsula Arie Ibo ab°As, commander of the alps troops in Egypt, thus abandoned his plans to seule in the former eapal on the Meditereaneany ‘The new capital, atthe apex of the Nile Delta, was ate tically situated near the Ronan forivest town of Babylon. Ths, at he junction of Upper and Lower Egypt, allowed easy communication with the Arabian Peninsula without crossing the Nile and ste Delon branches: ‘Ame fbn ak“Ag redug the ancient canal en necting the Nile with the Red Sea, further facilitating omumanication with the Caliphate in the Hejaz Al Fostat soon ecipyed Alexandra a the commercial and indaraleenetof Egypt, seceving gone fromm Upper and Lower Egypt and from the Mediterranea ati Nile pore. In the nth century, however the Khali or

    You might also like