Mi'dhanat al-Jami' al-'Amri
Esna, Egypt

By its epigraphy, this minaret, built in 1081, is attributed to Fakhr al-Mulk Sa'd al-Dawla Sar Takin, a high-ranking Fatimid official. Not only is this epigraphy important for its unprecedented use of the word mi'dhana (the place from which the call to prayer was given), but it sheds considerable light on our understanding of the nature of official patronage in the Fatimid period, particularly that pertaining to officials and dignitaries other than the imam (Fatimid caliph) and the "divine" household. The distinctive shape of the dome and its zone of transition finds a parallel in the novel mausolea of Aswan.


Source:


Jarrar, Sabri, András Riedlmayer, and Jeffrey B. Spurr. Resources for the Study of Islamic Architecture. Cambridge, MA: Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, 1994.

Location
Esna, Egypt
Events
1081/473-474 AH
Style Periods
909-1171
Variant Names
Minaret of al-'Amri Mosque
Variant
Manarat al-Jami' al-'Amri
Variant
Building Usages
religious
religious