Masjid al-Amir Manjak al-Yusufi
Cairo, Egypt
Manjak al-Yusufi (d. 1375/776 AH) was a maluk of al-Nasir Muhammad who rose through the ranks to become wazir and commander-in-chief of the Egyptian armies. He was a major patron of buildings and a madrasa that he founded survives in Jerusalem. The plan of his complex in Cairo is unusual, with the mosque on a floor above the khanqah. Al-Yusufi and his wife are buried in a roof north of the main body of the mosque. The entry facade of the complex is approached from Shari' al-Mahgar through a bent-entrance gateway, and the main entrance, through a simple arch with some ablaq decoration, leads into the mosque. The mosque is of the congregational type, but smaller, and with a roofed sahn (courtyard). Little of the facade's masonry appears to be original, and may have been restored by the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l’Art Arabe.

The structure is now so buried in the earth that only the top 1.2 meters of the original door are visible. Areas of the complex to the north of the entrance gateway are in poor condition, as are the rooms located above and the block to the left of the main portal of the mosque.

The three-tiered minaret is unusual, as it is free-standing. Work by the Comité is responsible for its current excellent condition. It has unusual puffed, or cushioned, moldings under its balconies.

Sources:

Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 112. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.

Williams, Caroline. Islamic monuments in Cairo : the practical guide, 77-78. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008.
Location
Shari' Bab al-Wada', Cairo, Egypt
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1349/750 AH
Style Periods
1250-1517
Variant Names
Amir Manjak al-Yusufi Mosque
Variant
Jami' al-Amir Manjak al-Yusufi
Variant
Building Usages
religious