Jami' Shaykhu
Cairo, Egypt

The Mosque of Emir Shaykhu al-'Imari was built for a leading emir under Sultan Hasan in 1349. It combines hypostyle features with a cruciform plan; on the qibla side of the rectangular courtyard is an arcaded sanctuary, which is faced by another arcaded hall across the courtyard. The two lateral sides of the courtyard are each occupied by a recess that opens onto the courtyard through a double arch sustained by one column only.


The minaret, which stands above the portal's vestibule, employs prismatic triangles for the transition from the square base to the octagonal shaft.


Sources:


Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. The Minarets of Cairo. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 1985.


Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. Islamic Architecture in Cairo. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1989.


Ibrahim, Laila 'Ali. "The Transitional Zones of Domes in Cairene Architecture." Kunst des Orients 10 (1975): 5-23.


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


Kessler, Christel. "Funerary Architecture within the City." In Colloque international sur l'histoire du Caire, 385-403. Cairo: Ministry of Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, 1969.

Location
Shari' al-Salibah, Cairo, Egypt
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1349/750 AH
Style Periods
1250-1517
Variant Names
Amir Shaykhu Funerary Complex
Variant
Masjid al-Amir Shaykhu
Variant
Building Usages
funerary
religious
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