Jami' al-Amir Aytmish al-Bajasi
Cairo, Egypt
Aytmish was an emir of Sultan Barquq who became a regent for Barquq's son Farag, and subsequently fled Cairo when Farag came to power and was killed in Damascus in 1400/802 AH. His foundation here includes a mosque, tomb chamber, and sabil, along with funduq/rab adjacent to the mosque which may survive partially in the structure to the right of the main facade. A seperate haw-kuttab outside of the Bab al-Wazir were also included in the foundation.

The (empty) tomb chamber has a distinctive brick and plaster dome, with ribs that rise straight up for the first quarter of the dome, then bend to the right and spiral up to the top, an example of the experimentation with ribbing that was popular from 1360 to 1400. There is an inscription at its base, and alternating keel-arched windows and niches on the drum. The main facade has a high-level inscription, plus two further inscription bands on the main portal. The portal also has a muqarnas hood and a decoration of inverse heart-shaped leaf patterns. The sabil is to the northwest. The sabil has a cup blazon and inscription on its wooden lintel, but the grille below is not original and the ground level has now risen above the bottom of the window. The Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l’Art Arabe restored the stonework on the main facade.

The interior of the mosque is plain, and is in use as a neighborhood mosque. There is a newly-tiled mihrab, a damaged painted wooden ceiling over the main iwan, and a roof with a lantern over the courtyard.


Sources:

Seton-Williams, M. J., and Peter Stocks. Egypt, 314. London: A & C Black, 1988.

Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 135. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.

Williams, Caroline. Islamic monuments in Cairo : the practical guide, 81. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008.


Location
Shari' Bab al-Wazir, Cairo, Egypt
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1383/785 AH
Style Periods
1250-1517
Variant Names
Amir Aytmish al-Bajasi Mosque
Variant
Masjid al-Amir Aytmish al-Bajasi
Variant
Building Usages
funerary
religious