Masjid wa-Khanqah Shaykh Nizam al-Din Ishaq
Cairo, Egypt
Nizam al-Din Ishaq, from Isfahan, was in charge of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad's khanqah in Siryaqus, twenty kilometers north of Cairo. His own ruined khanqah-mosque sits high on a spur of the Muqattam Hills below the citadel. Remains of some of the Sufi cells are still visible, tiny vaulted chambers each with an individual mihrab. The surviving portal has an eroded inscription, and a fine piece of pharaonic spolia used as a lintel over the doorway. The plan of the building is rather enigmatic and susceptible to various interpretations, particularly since it appears that the structure was heavily remodeled for military purposes at some point. Today it gives the appearance of a ruined castle atop the hill.

Sources:

Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 113. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.

Williams, Caroline. Islamic monuments in Cairo : the practical guide, 79. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008.
Location
Shari' Bab al-Wada', Cairo, Egypt
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1356/757 AH
Style Periods
1250-1517
Variant Names
Shaykh Nizam al-Din Ishaq Mosque and Khanqah
Variant
Khanqah Nizam al-Din
Variant
Building Usages
religious
religious