Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
Map of the mosque from the inside and facts about the construction of the mosque and school of Sultan Al-Nasir Hassan and history of the most important Historical mosques in Islamic architecture, who is buried in the mosque, who built it, how old is it and more to discover the Islamic Egypt History.
Sultan Hassan Mosque and School is one of the most famous Islamic Egypt Archaeological Sites and Cairo.
It is located specifically in the Citadel of Saladin Square “Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi“. The mosque was built by Al-Nasir Hassan bin Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun.
The mosque is famous for the historical events that the mosque witnessed and is one of the most important Islamic Egyptian Antiquities. Learn about other information.
Sultan Hassan Mosque Facts
Who built Sultan Hassan Mosque?
Sultan Al-Nasir Hassan bin Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun.
When did the construction of Sultan Hassan Mosque begin?
Construction began between 1356 AD and 1363 AD during the Mamluk rule..
What does Sultan Hassan Mosque consist of?
The building consists of a mosque and a school, and the school is for the four schools of thought: Shafi’i, Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali..
Who is the designer of Sultan Hassan Mosque?
It is not yet known who designed the mosque and the school, but from the design style it is believed to be a Byzantine engineer..
Sultan Hassan bin Qalawun Mosque
History of the construction of the Sultan Al-Mansur Mosque and School in Cairo, Egypt. Valuable information about the architectural design of the most famous historical mosques in the Citadel of Saladin.
Sultan Hassan Mosque and Sultan Hassan School are considered among the most important historical Islamic schools that taught the main Islamic doctrines.
Sultan Hassan bin Muhammad bin Qalawun built the foundations of the mosque and school between 757 AH and 762 AH, corresponding to 1356 AD, but he died before the mosque was opened. After his death, Prince Bashir Agha Al-Jamdar completed and opened the mosque in 764 AH..
Sultan Hassan Mosque is distinguished by its dome and white marble columns carved with arches of unique plants, in addition to the massive stone building and the style used in decorating the walls and floors..
Sultan Hassan bin Qalawun Mosque interior design:
You will see a very luxurious mihrab with a royal decorative style on 4 unique marble columns in addition to Islamic drawings and decorations on the walls of the mihrab..
You will also see the prayer hall (prayer bench) made of distinctive marble, in addition to a group of large chains that you will see at the top, which include unique lighting lamps..
You will find the tomb of Sultan Hassan directly behind the Qibla wall. The tomb is a dark room with a high ceiling.
In addition, you will find the dome of the mosque above the room. However, there are interpretations that say that Sultan Hassan was not buried in the mosque cemetery and until now his tomb has not been discovered and that the one buried in the tomb of the leader Shihab al-Din Ahmed Ismail.
In Sultan Hassan Mosque you will find 4 iwans, each iwan is dedicated to teaching the four Sunni schools of thought (Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali).).
You will see a wooden inlaid with ebony and ivory called the Qur’an Chair, where the star plate was assembled and decorated with ivory and ebony..
You will also see a hospital, which was dedicated to treating diseases faced by students and teachers in the school. It has two entrances on the corridor and another on the courtyard..
You will also find a water canal for the school with a 30-meter deep well, which delivers fresh water to the tanks, pipes, fountain, toilets, sinks and all parts of the school..
Sultan Hassan Mosque contains two minarets, one in the western direction and the other in the eastern direction, between which is the Sultan’s mausoleum. The height of the southern minaret is 82 meters and the eastern minaret is 74 meters..
Sultan Hassan School contains a rare collection of Islamic artifacts in addition to the distinctive architectural design of its towering entrance. The historian Fabet said about it, “It is the most creative, harmonious, cohesive, and perfect of Cairo’s monuments.”“
Sultan Hassan Mosque is one of the most prominent Islamic landmarks in Old Cairo. It was established as a school and a mosque at the same time, and is considered the finest example of Mamluk architecture in Cairo..
Many guidebooks refer to the mosque as one of the finest ancient mosques in Cairo, and it has been praised as one of the major landmarks of the Islamic world..
About Sultan Hassan bin Qalawun Mosque in Cairo:
The founder of this great mosque of Sultan Hassan is Sultan Hassan, the son of the Mamluk Sultan, Al-Nasir Muhammad bin (Ibn) Qalawun. Although he was not of great importance in matters of power and rule, as he was, according to historical accounts, a puppet in the hands of the Mamluk princes, his most prominent surviving work to date is this mosque..
The mosque was funded from Muslim endowment funds and from real estate funds that were transferred to the state after the death of all their owners as a result of the plague that struck Cairo in 1348. Historical accounts say that building the mosque cost 20,000 dirhams per day..
Sultan Hassan hired engineers from all over the world to build this great mosque, which is located near the Saladin Citadel, specifically in Saladin Square, sometimes referred to as the Citadel Square, which was previously a racecourse for Arabian horses..
Description of Sultan Hassan School in Cairo:
Sultan Hassan Mosque is a massive structure 150 meters long and 36 meters high. The mosque has a tall minaret 68 meters high. The mosque can accommodate more than four hundred students..
The mosque was completed in 1363 AD, two years after the assassination of Sultan Hassan, and its construction was continued by one of his followers, Bashir al-Qadamar..
The mosque has three different facades: sea, eastern, and southern. The fourth western side contains a large commercial complex..
The most prominent landmarks of Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo:
The mosque is distinguished by its giant dome, which reaches a height of 30 meters, and at the top there is an arched cornice in the form of carved stones along the facade, which is unmatched in any other mosque in Cairo. The original dome is built of wood and covered with lead..
The mosque is also distinguished by its high minaret, which reaches a height of 84 meters, equipped with many geometric shapes made of some precious stones, in addition to many geometric drawings, decorations and inlaid shapes, interlocking geometric shapes, huge windows and giant doors, and many wonderfully drawn mosaics..
The entrance to Sultan Hassan Mosque cannot be overlooked either, as it is larger than any other entrance in Egypt, and extends as far as the Saladin Citadel..
Upon entering the gate, you feel as if you are descending into a marble vestibule, leading you to a hall decorated with distinctive artistic shapes..
The main hall of Sultan Hassan Mosque is 34 meters long and 32 meters wide and is entirely paved with modern marble.
In the middle of the main courtyard of the mosque there is a large fountain for ablution, dating back to the Ottoman era..
Around the main courtyard, there are four iwans that serve as classrooms for studying the four Islamic schools of thought: Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanafi, and Hanbali. The floor of each iwan is covered with carpets of different colors to distinguish between them..
Entrance ticket prices
Entry to Sultan Hassan Mosque costs 60 pounds for foreigners, 30 pounds for foreign students, 20 pounds for Egyptians and 10 pounds for Egyptian students..
Visiting hours of Sultan Hassan bin Qalawun Mosque:
Sultan Hassan Mosque can be visited from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The mosque is open during the month of Ramadan for Tarawih prayers, which are performed by thousands of worshippers..
Sultan Hassan Mosque Address:
Al-Darb Al-Ahmar is one of the most famous Old Cairo neighborhoods, Cairo.
About Sultan Hassan
The Sultan was born in 735 AH and was called Qamari, but he chose the name Hassan..
He took over the throne of Egypt when he was only 13 years old, and due to his young age, Prince Bebga Rus took over on his behalf..
In the year 751 AH, after the Sultan reached adulthood, he was able to assume power, but he arrested Prince Bebugha Rus and Manjak..
This was the reason for the princes’ conspiracy against him and his removal from power in the year 752 AH, and his brother, King Al-Salih Saleh, was appointed..
In 755, the Sultan returned once again to take over the judiciary of Egypt, but due to the many disputes and competition between the Turkish princes, the Sultan left the rule to Prince Sheikhon Al-Omari..
Yilbugha attacked the Sultan and was arrested in the year 762 AH. It is said that he died of strangulation..
Mosque interior design
The school is designed in a perpendicular position, containing four iwans in the middle of an unroofed courtyard..
There are also 3 minarets, although the design was supposed to have 4 minarets, but after the fall of the third minaret, the Sultan cancelled the fourth minaret and was satisfied with only two..
The building area is 7906 square meters, the maximum length of the building is 150 meters, and the maximum width is 68 meters for the sides in the building..
The building has 4 facades: eastern, southern, sea and western. There is a dome on the eastern side in addition to two minarets..
There is a fortress in the mosque with a height of 81.60 meters, in addition to the presence of a lighthouse, but it fell in 1659 AD, but it was renovated during the reign of Ibrahim Pasha..
The southern side of the building is a school for Hanbalis and Hanafis..
The building has a water canal that supplies water to Sultan Hassan Mosque and schools. The height of the sea side of the building is 37.70 metres..
On both sides of the main door there are decorations from bottom to top but they are not completed..
There are geometric shapes made of green marble, and the door is made of wood and copper..
The dome of the mosque is square, with sides measuring 21 metres long and a height of 48 metres..
In the dome there is a mihrab made of marble decorated with a group of engravings..
Al-Shihab Ahmed, son of the Sultan and Ismail, was buried in the soil that was supposed to be the Sultan’s, but his grave was not known..
The Quran chair in the dome is made of ebony fillings and pounded wood..
The courtyard is surrounded by the schools of the four schools of thought..
The largest school is the Hanafi School, with an area of 898 square meters..
School system
Sultan Hassan appointed teachers and supervisors for the four schools, and he even appointed a sheikh for each school..
In each group there are 25 applicants and 3 assistants..
Sultan appointed a teacher at Sultan Hassan Mosque to interpret the Holy Quran and 30 students.
A teacher of Hadith was appointed by the Sultan and also a reciter to recite the Holy Quran and he appointed 30 students..
The Sultan appointed a Mufti and a teacher who is knowledgeable in the seven readings..
The Sultan appointed two people to monitor attendance and absence, and he also prepared a library in the schools and put a secretary in it..
There were two offices in the school for teaching orphans, the Qur’an and calligraphy, and the Sultan gave them clothing and food..
The Sultan would reward those who memorized the Qur’an with fifty dirhams and give the child’s tutor 50 dirhams..
Three doctors were appointed to care for the students in the specialty of internal medicine and ophthalmology..
Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrasa as a Fortress
The Mamluks in the Mamluk era took this building as a fortress for them, due to its location, which is located in front of the Citadel of the Mountain..
The Mamluks climb to the top of the building and attack the castle if there is a quarrel between them..
Sultan Al-Zahir ordered the demolition of the stairs leading to the roof of the school so that such entanglements would not be repeated..
The great copper door was also blocked by Sultan al-Zahir..
In the year 825 AH, the two minarets were given the call to prayer..
Sultan Hassan Mosque and School Entry Hours
Daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrasa Entrance Ticket Price
Ticket price for adult foreigners is 60 pounds, and for foreign students it is 30 pounds..
Ticket price for Egyptians and Arabs adults is 20 pounds, and for students it is 10 pounds..
Note: Facts and secrets of the history will be added soon…
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