Mosque of al-Aqmar Facts:
The name of the Mosque of al-Aqmar (the Moonlit Mosque) was supposedly inspired by the luminous quality of its grey stone. These days, coated in centuries of Cairo grime, the mosque does anything but shine. Nevertheless, it is considered to be an architectural gem.
The mosque was built in 1125 by one of the last Fatimid caliphs and is the oldest stone-built mosque in Egypt (earlier buildings were made of brick faced with plaster).
The layout of the mosque is interesting as it uses an outer wall of varying thickness to realign the interior, reconciling the conflicting geometry imposed by the street plan and the direction of Mecca.
The facade also displays the earliest use of decorative features that were later to become popular under the Mamluks, such as the sculpted stone “stalactites” (muqarnas ) and carved ribbing in the hooded arch.
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