Cairo old wall
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the Cairo old wall is part of Greater Cairo , Cairo .
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the Cairo old wall is part of Greater Cairo , Cairo .
Location is derived from the great work of WikiMapia
Check this place on Socialmapia
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having a kip..
Made by purplicious*
Al-Azhar Mosque - Cairo, Egypt ... Located in Islamic Caironext to the famous Khan al-Khalili bazaar, Al-Azhar Mosque was founded by Jawhar al-Siqilly, the Fatimid conqueror of Egypt, in 970 as the congregational mosque for the new city of al-Qahira. It was the first mosque established in Cairo, a city that has since gained the nickname the city of a thousand minarets. It was called Al-Azhar (the most blooming) after Fatama al-Zahraa, daughter of the Prophet Mohamed. The first khutba was delivered from its minbar in 972 and a university was established there in 988. It claims to be the oldest Islamic university in the world, but this is disputed by the Kairaouine Mosque in Fes, Morocco. The school of theology (madrassa) connected with it was founded in 988 as an Ismaili Shia school, but it later became a Sunni school, which it remains to this day and is considered the most important of Sunni Muslim schools until today. Today the university classes are performed impending buildings and the mosque is reserved for prayer. Though the latticework-screened residential quarters of the madrassas are rarely open to visitors, the huge prayer hall supported by alabaster pillars is open to public. It is very common to find Muslim scholars performing prayer or sitting on the floor studying books, or some simply take their nap on the warmly carpeted floor. Academic life has remained much the same. Students study the Qur'an and Islamic law in detail, Islamic culture and the Arabic language, while gathering in a circle at the feet of a sheikh. Graduates receive a certificate which indicates that they have memorized the teacher's curriculum. Addition to religious studies, modern schools of medicine, science and foreign languages were added in 1961. In the same year an Islamic women's faculty was established – six years after Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, Pakistan’s first female editor and columnist also became the first woman to speak at al-Azhar University. The university's library is considered second in range and importance only to the Egyptian National Library and Archives (Dar al Kutob) with most precious rare books and manuscripts, some as old as the 8th century. Third in line is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Among students of al Azhar University were famous figures like Taha Hussein, Egypt's influential writer and intellectual, whose book ‘Pre-Islamic Poetry” was banned by al Azhar but later with some modifications published under the title ‘Pre-Islamic Literature' , and Saad Zaghloul, who became Egypt's first prime minister in 192. The architecture is an amalgam of styles built over the ages, all coming together to create one harmonious house of worship. Detailed information about al-Azhar Mosque’s architectural design ................................................................................................................................................................... Please do not leave awards, invitations, banners or badges.. Cheers!
The Great Escape
Made by modenadude
Al-Ahzar Mosque has five minarets -- two Ottoman and three Mamluk, there are no surviving Fatimid minarets. And if you go up one, you can see a lot of the city. Sometimes however, getting up there may not be as easy as it sounds. Depending on your skin color. Blake and I decided to get up one, so we went searching. Went to the south corner, where there was a minaret sticking out from above. You'd think, hey, there's a minaret popping out from the roof, the entrance should be right underneath it. Well it was, but there were a few... obstacles. In the form of Egyptian men. In the form of Gineih (Egyptian Pounds). 50 said the man. For those who aren't familiar, it's about a 6:1 EGP aka LE to USD ratio. So LE 50 is roughly $9. $9 to go up a minaret is kind of pricey, considering it costs around $9 to go to the Egyptian museum... and 25 cents for a bottle of water and 17 cents to take any bus or subway. Blake looked utterly shocked at this amount. I laughed in the guy's face and walked away, telling Blake, we'll get up on our own. So we turn the corner left to exit the mosque, the extended part that was added long after the Fatimids (al-Ahzar is a very interesting mosque in that it is so very unlike its original 970 CE form. Rooms, madrasas, library, tombs, domes, minarets and even extra prayer halls were added over the past 1,000 years) and end up passed one of the madrasas in this room with a staircase. I pspsss (a very Egyptian hissing sound to get one's attention) Blake and we scale the steps. We were tight on time as our class was going to leave any minute for our walk through the area where the historic palaces of Cairo once stood, so we had to be quick. We went all the way to the roof (a little higher than we needed to) passing by hallways of bedrooms and floors covered in millimeters of dust (my socks will never be white again). We took a few photos from the roof which was cool, but which was not the entrance to the minarets, so we headed back down the stairs and got a little lost... but time was running short so, we had to back out of the mission. Pictured is our quick getaway out of the... well, whatever it was we were in. Sleeping quarters for the madrasa? Perhaps. We rejoined our class and I vowed I'd be back. I'd be back to conquer al-Azhar. I've spoken to Egyptians who are into mosques and the such and even they say they've never really conquered al-Azhar completely. It's just so expansive and there have been just so many additions that it's difficult to take in everything... but I got three more months :) ---------- blog: modenadude.com
Eid al-Fitr @ al-Azhar Mosque
Made by modenadude
Eid Said to all! I'm a bit late, I know, but I couldn't find time to edit this panoramic photo yesterday during the actual Eid celebrations. Kiran's out of town and Sofi and I wanted to go somewhere big for our first Egyptian Eid, so we decided on the ancient and historic al-Azhar Mosque in Islamic Cairo. It was a good choice, I thought, because massive amounts of people showed up to pray on a beautiful Friday morning. I got a couple cool shots of families wandering the giant courtyard and some good photos / videos of inside the mosque as well. We weren't sure when the prayer would start. Friends and taxi drivers told me times ranging anywhere from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., and it didn't help that Egypt was pushing its clocks forward an hour now that Ramadan had ended but we had no idea when the clocks were changed... so we were pretty much in the blue whether we'd even get to pray Eid prayer at all! Eid in Egypt also fell on the kickoff of the NFL season... and my Saints kept Brett Favre and the Vikings to just 9 points. What a great Eid present :) After watching the game on my laptop (as Ahmad Mickey at the Sports Cafe in Mohandeseen couldn't find the game on their TVs) from Channel Surfing -- which got its feed from ESPN America -- Sofi and I quickly grabbed a taxi at around 5:30 in the morning (getting one was easier than I thought) and Sofi and I headed over to Al-Azhar. The streets weren't completely dead, to my surprise. There were people randomly walking around instead of heading to mosques. Egypt is a strange Muslim country... I really don't know what to make of it. The people are great, but shops are open during the day during Ramadan and it seemed like less people were fasting as Ramadan continued. It's the only Muslim country I've ever been to, but it's not what I've come to expect at all... but I still love it here! After Eid prayer, we wandered around Khan al-Khalili a bit, even went to visit the al-Hussein Mosque across the street as it's one of the holiest spots in Cairo. I'll have a few pictures up from there a bit later... because I have a few words I want to say on that matter. But until then, enjoy this panorama that I manually stitched together in Photoshop CS5 from eight frames. It was really hard matching the people in the crowd... really hard, haha. Hope all your Eid celebrations were good and that they continue throughout the weekend. Eid Said! ----------- modenadude.com/blog/2010/09/11/eid-al-fitr-al-azhar-mosque blog: modenadude.com
A pit of filth
Made by modenadude
The traditional (and by traditional I mean 99% of all) wudu/ablution areas are rooms lined with faucets and drains where Muslims stand or sit to wash their hands, face, feet etc before prayer. They're usually attached to a bathroom and off to the side of the main prayer area. In the Mosque of al-Hakim however, things are completely different. There is a small and elegant fountain near the middle of the courtyard, but additionally there are two almost well-like setups in the back corners of the courtyard, near the entrances to the minarets. I don't know how else to describe them but by calling them pits of water. But raised pits. As elegant as the fountain and made of the same beautiful material as the courtyard. I guess I can describe it best by calling them watering holes like the ones found in the middle of the desert. Animals flock to them from all over the area to drink and bathe alike. It may not be the most hygenic system, but it works for them. The same can be said for al-Hakim. Approaching it, after the mob of Muslims who came to al-Hakim to pray Janazah -- a special funeral prayer -- before Juma/Guma/Friday prayer left to pray, I had a slight feeling the water would look a little merky and that the bottom might be a bit sandy. But I was gravely mistaken. The water looked so clean and pure. There must be some sort of filtration system to make it like this -- and the water's level never decreases. Pretty impressive setup. So while I don't know how I feel about putting the same water in my mouth that the man next to me just dipped his feet in (and this isn't just my, er, American snobbiness -- I talked to some Egyptians who felt the same), this system kind of works. And if you think about it, not much in Egypt is very hygenic in terms of sharing water sources anyway. Everyone drinks from the same cup here in Egypt. During iftar in Ramadan, when the sun sets, people pass around a jug of water that everyone drinks from, and every day you can find oolahs (forgive my spelling, they're those ceramic vase-like water holders that keep water very cool, someone want to correct me on the spelling?) on the streets being refilled for consumption by Cairenes who all share them and drink from them all day long. So while this concept of sharing water is new to someone like me, it might be very normal for everyone else. But let me stick with a faucet, please.
Delight
Made by Marwa Morgan
Another photo of Fanous Ramadan. Fanous Ramadan is one of the traditional symbols of the holy month of Ramadan... It originally goes back to the Fatimid Era, where the Fatimid people where going out with lanterns during Ramadan's eve, since then they became connected. Original lanterns are made from Copper (some times still sheets in poor areas), having colourful glass/plastics with Islamic phrases written on them, for example, this one has the word Allah Akrab (God is the greatest), Al Hamdulillah (Thanks to God). Ramadan is the most important month in the Muslim (Hijri) Calender. It's a month where Muslims fast from Dawn to Dusk (they stop eating, drinking and sexual relationships). Allah gives Muslims chances for forgiveness and mercy more than he gives ever, Special prayers are preferred during the holy month's nights. It has a special atmosphere especially in Islamic countries. It's a month of unity and mercy, All Muslims start eating (the meal is called Iftar) at dusk, they all eat at the same moment, say the same prayers at the same time, at night, people in all mosques perform the same prayers at the same time, people stop eating at the same time, share the same feelings, where the rich and the poor feel the same, the rich gives the poor charity (this is very recommended in Ramadan more that any time else). In Ramadan, The prophet Mohammed started being told the Qur'an (the holy book for Muslims). Special traditions are linked with this months, special food types, desserts, music, lights, lanterns and mosques prayers. This photo is a part of Exploring the unexplored.
Vintage Pyramids
Made by modenadude
If for some reason you have anti-minaret and anti-dome sentiments, go to the Citadel just to check out the fabulous views of the city. Directly behind to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, you'll be able to see an almost 180 degree view of the west of Cairo, including a handful of pyramids. The giant Giza pyramids are pictured (Menkaure, Khafre and Khufu from left to right and smallest to largest) and this day was the first day I got to see the pyramids after more than three weeks in Cairo! I was speechless. I started jumping up and down haha. They're gigantic, even from this far away! Luckily it was a pretty clear day when we went to the Citadel so the smog and fumes didn't keep us from enjoying the spectacular views. But I still used the remaining pollution to help me create this vintage old school feel -- added some color though because Cairo isn't this brown haha -- you like? :) You can see as far south as the Saqqara pyramids (the Step Pyramid of Djoser being the most famous and most distinct) and as far north as Alexandria -- I kid. Alexandria is way too far. But you can see Saqqara (about 20km / 12mi south)... pretty impressive, I thought. While the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali tower above all other mosques in the city, I did not believe for a second the view would be as spectacular as it was. Good thing I was wrong. Alhumdulillah, the city of Cairo is very beautiful :) ---------- blog: modenadude.com
Masjid- Madrassa of Sultan Hassan مسجد ومدرسة السلطان حسن / Cairo / Egypt - 28 05 2010
Made by Ahmed Al.Badawy
The Sultan Hassan Mosque is considered stylistically the most compact and unified of all Cairo monuments. It is one of the masterpieces of Mamluk architecture. The building was commissioned by Sultan Hassan bin Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun in 1356 AD as a mosque and religious school for all four juristic branches of Sunni Islam. It was designed so that each of the four schools of thought - Shafi, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali - has its own area while sharing the mosque.[1]. Construction started in 1356 AD and ended 7 years later in 1363 AD. Building materials used were harvested from the casing stones of the Giza Necropolis. One of the minarets collapsed during construction killing 300 people. The state was able to fund the massive structure through the properties that were left behind by the victims of the Black Death. The Sultan was assassinated before the mosque was completed and his body was never recovered. The magnificent burial chamber that was intended for him holds his two sons instead. The facade is 76 meters long and 36 meters high. The cornices, the entrance portal, the burial chamber, and the monumental staircase are particularly noteworthy. Verses from the Quran in elegant Kufic and Thuluth scripts adorn the inner walls. Source. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque-Madrassa_of_Sultan_Hassan
Tunbga Almardany 's Mosque9
Made by ahmed_eldaly
Created in 740 Hijri -1430 AD in the reign of King Al-Nasser Street, there Sendero Way Red Cairo City Description of the Whole Consists of an open courtyard surrounded by four iwans largest qibla iwan The arches of the iwan-mounted columns of marble and red granite, ceiling decorations and colorful gold and its walls covered with Buserp of marble to a height of three meters and has three doors made of wood and decorated and there over these doors three windows are made of faience from several colors shown by the green, white and black, this decoration is unprecedented in any other mosque in Egypt and the main door is the door of Maritime, a manufacturer of stone-clad with marble and colorful interface, the mosque of stone for the mosque fence of wood cone and ends from the top model rectangle decorated with Koranic verses and this fence separates Roaaq kiss for the rest of the mosque, the mihrab of the mosque niches minute where Xit walls with marble flour and coincidences and his blue marble polychrome and next to the mihrab platform flour-made and make a dome mounted on the stalactites and Dakka amount of marble and mounted on twelve columns of marble
Gate of Complex of Sultan Qalawun بوابة مجمع السلطان قلاوون / El.Muiz Le Din Allah Street / Cairo / Egypt - 29 05 2010
Made by Ahmed Al.Badawy
The complex of Sultan Qalawun was built for the sultan by Amir 'Alam al-Din Sanjar al-Shuja'i in 1284-5 and consisted of the founder's mausoleum, madrasa, and a maristan (hospital). The complex was located on al-Mu'izz Street. The mausoleum's central, domed plan is connected to the madrasa by a long entrance passage, and the plan of both spaces is shifted to accommodate the qibla orientation. The mausoleum, which is separated from the madrasa by this long corridor, is accessible via a small courtyard surrounded by an arcade with shallow domes. The octagonal structure was roofed by a dome which was destroyed in the 18th century. The current concrete dome, which is a replica of that covering the Mausoleum of al-Ashraf Khalil ibn Qalawun (1288), was built by Max Herz Bey in 1903. The octagonal base is transformed into a circle by means of wooden muqarnas. The elaborate interior decoration includes marble revetment, carved, painted, and gilded wood, carved marble, and stucco. Source: archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2108
Entrance to Salih Tala'i
Made by modenadude
The real door of this potentially historic mosque is really in the Museum of Islamic Art (which just opened this week after being closed for nearly a decade of renovations!!) but this imitation is pretty spot on. The gorgeous metal peices are nailed onto the slab, slit by slit, so meticulously detailed onto the massive doors of this, the final Fatimid mosque. They look great :) A quick history of the mosque that sits just at the entrance of al-Qahira's souther gate, Bab Zuwayla: It was supposed to be the original home of al-Hussein's head when it was called from Karbala to Cairo centuries ago. But plans changed and the head was moved to the area north of al-Azhar, which is now surrounded by the Mosque of al-Hussein. My favorite part of this mosque is that while it's at ground level now, it was above ground nearly 1,000 years ago. The shops (that are now below ground) were at street level. The reason for this change in elevation is due to the repaved streets of Cairo not having been initially broken down, creating layers and layers of unneeded additions. Neat, eh?
Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Made by modenadude
Taking 18 years to complete, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, also known as the Alabaster Mosque for its rare use of alabaster, towers the skyline of Cairo and is easily the most visible masgid in the city, located in the Citadel. I've seen tons of photos of this mosque for years and, if forced to choose, it's the only mosque I wanted to visit during my trip to Cairo. The Ottoman style architecture and the overabundance of domes is just gorgeous. Entering the mosque, it's amazing to look up and see that the whole interior is hollow -- you can see each and every dome from the inside. How does this thing stand! I guess it helps that it's only 150 years old. I didn't get to spend too much time in the Citadel so I plan to return (LE 25 for students, that we proved by showing them our AUC ID) and take more pictures of this masgid as well as the other two located inside the Citadel walls. It was such a clear day in the heavily polluted Cairo! ---------- blog: modenadude.com
Above one of the gates of Masjid Al Rifai فوق أحد بوابات مسجد الرفاعي / Cairo / Egypt - 08 05 2010
Made by Ahmed Al.Badawy
The Al-Rifa'i Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الرفاعى, transliterated also as Al-Rifai, Al-Refai, Al-Refa'i, and named in English the Royal Mosque), is located in Cairo, Egypt, in Midan al-Qal'a, adjacent to the Cairo Citadel. The building is located opposite the Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, which dates from around 1361, and was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older structure. This was part of a vast campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city. The mosque was constructed next to two large public squares and off of several European style boulevards constructed around the same time. Source . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Rifa'i_Mosque More .. archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=3476
Beautiful Girl - Rahmah - 5 months later with her little niece Lulu
Made by rsaslan
I was haunted by her beautiful face and went to look for her once agan. I had to put a name to this face and find out the story behind the picture I randomly shot last winter. Rahmah (whose name means compassion or kindness in Arabic) grew up, five months after I took the first picture of her and I found her once again in the same place I took her picture. She looks much more mature, and she had a haircut. Rahmah and her family were only too happy to see the photos and share a conversation with me. I gave them five copies of the photos and all of their friends and family members rushed to get their own copy. Rahmah's mother, Umm Rania, sells homemade cheese in the square of a poor neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt, and she has six daughters and one son. None of her children made it to school, and Rahmah probably won't either. Is this beautiful little girl really destined to sell cheese and trinkets in a dirt square in the middle of Cairo for the rest of her life?
Sacred Site
Made by L Plater
Sayyidna el-Hussein Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الإمام الحسيننا الحسين), built in 1154, is located next to the Khan El-Khalili bazaar. This makes it one of the most popular and most visited mosques in Cairo. It is one of the most sacred Islamic sites in Egypt, and reputed burial place of the head of el-Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Bread sold here is believed to have a special blessing and alcohol is prohibited. Three mechanically operated, square shaped umbrellas set in a row in front of the mosque, once open, cover a total area of 750 sq. m. The height of the umbrellas is 12 m, and they provide shade for worshippers who gather to pray outside in front of the mosque on the plaza. el-Hussein Mosque, El Azhar Square, Cairo, Egypt (Wednesday 17 November 2010 @ 4:58pm). ISO400 | f/8 | 1/30 sec | 17-40mm @ 17mm | AWB | raw Click on image for a pointy look
Alabaster Mosque
Made by Perfex
Designed by the Greek architect Yussuf Bushnaq, The Mohammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque in the Citadel was begun in 1830 (finished in 1857) in the Ottoman style by Mohammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt, and founder of the country's last dynasty of Khedives and Kings. The mosque is the Tomb of Mohammad Ali and is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because of the extensive use of this fine material from Beni Suef. Its two slender 270 foot minarets are unusual for Cairo. From the arcaded courtyard, visitors have a magnificent view across the city to the pyramids in Giza. Just off the courtyard is the vast prayer hall with an Ottoman style dome which is 170 feet above. The parapet to the southwest offers a good view of the Sultan Hassan and Ibn Tulun Mosques and of Cairo itself. Perhaps because of its location, it is one of the most frequently visited Mosques by tourists. Cairo / Egypt
![Al-Refai Mosque [HDR]](http://static.flickr.com/3553/3329705180_a895f73ec0_t.jpg)
Al-Refai Mosque [HDR]
Made by Bakar_88
It's the 1st trip during the photography course, yea I chose photography as an elective subject in the academy, I was hesitated to take the course till I found that if I take that course, I will take 2 days holiday + the weekend holiday. So I took it :D Anyway, the course is absolutely good for me to learn how to use my camera also and learn more and more about photography. Editing was very inspired from Location: Al-Refai Mosque, Citadel, Cairo, Egypt About: Al-Refai mosque was founded during the 2nd half of the 1800's. The design was made in Europe during the Renaissance, and it was characterized by the classical architecture (Symmetry). No courtyard and this is unfamiliar in the Muslim Architecture. Photomatix: Processing 3 photos of the same exposure at 0 Lightroom: Increasing exposure, decreasing shadows to -60
Al-Hakim Mosque at Night
Made by WeCanCam.net
Al-Hakim Mosque is located in Islamic Cairo, on the east side of Muizz Street, just south of Bab Al-Futuh (the northern gate). It is named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985-1021), the sixth Fatimid caliph and the first to be born in Egypt. It was originally built as an enclosure by the Fatimid vizier Gawhar Al-Siqilli (c.928-992), but was incorporated into the extended fortifications built by Badr al-Gamali. ---------------------------------------------------- For more travel photos see: Website: wecancam.net/portfolio/travel.html Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/WeCanCam/117162771665526 ----------------------------------------------------
(947) the Orient / cairo / egypt
Made by unicorn 81
Khan-El-Khalili Basar Der Khan el-Khalili ist ein sehenswerter Markt (Souk) in Kairos Altstadt. Er ist einer der ältesten Märkte der Welt und wurde 1382 ursprünglich als riesengroßes Lagerhaus (Khan) gegründet. Auf dem Basar werden Gold- und Silberschmuck, Antiquitäten, Stoffe, Lederwaren, Glas, Wasserpfeifen, Papyrus, Alabaster-Einlegearbeiten und weiteres Kunsthandwerk angeboten. In den Innenhöfen des Lagerhauses findet man Werkstätten der Kunsthandwerker. Hier kann man beobachten wie die Glasbläser, Goldschmiede und Schneider ihre Produkte herstellen. Am Khan el-Khalili (Nahe dem Ausgang zum Midan Hussein) findet man auch das wohl bekannteste Kaffeehaus Kairos, das Cafe Fishawy. Der Markt ist täglich geöffnet. Man erreicht ihn gut zu Fuß von der Zitadelle.
(914) cairo / egypt
Made by unicorn 81
Khan-El-Khalili Basar Orient zum Verlieben: Schmuck und Leder, Stoffe, Gewänder und jede Menge Kunsthandwerk – der größte Markt Ägyptens mit seinen unzähligen schmalen Gassen ist ein Fest für die Sinne. Er liegt nördlich der El-Ashar-Moschee im Herzen der Islamischen Altstadt und hat seinen Ursprung im 13. Jahrhundert. ******************************************************************************************** Khan-El-Khalili bazaar East for falling in love: Jewellery and leather, materials, garments and a lot of art craft – the biggest market of Egypt with his countless narrow lanes is a party for the senses. He lies to the north of the El Ashar mosque in the heart of the Islamic Old Town and has his origin in the 13th century.
Looking up at the Alabaster
Made by modenadude
Another angle of the beautiful Mosque of Muhammad Ali -- from the foot of it tilted up. My 17mm (cropped sensor) couldn't get the mosque in completely from no matter where I stood in the front courtyard, so I had to stitch this final image from four frames in Photoshop. My friends in the foreground were supposed to be looking up at the mosque... but I guess the started staring at me because I was taking too long haha. Oh well, they show how gigantic the mosque is... because it is huge. Just proves: you should never stage. But this photo is completely manipulated, so let's throw ethics out the window :) ---------- blog: modenadude.com
Nearest places of interest:
| Trianaon Cafe - تريانون كافيه الحفريات الأثرية وبوابة المجتمع عند باب المحروق المطل الجنوبى مقابر | Al-Azhar Park - حديقة الأزهر The Agriculture Garden شارع درب الدليل مسجد المغربى والملحق الاضافى للمسجد |
