Demerdash Mosque () is a historical mosque built during the

Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...

era in

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. It is located in the district of Al-Wayli,

Abbassia Abbassia ( ) is a neighbourhood that makes up five shiakhas (census blocks) in al-Wayli district in Cairo, Egypt. The Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral is located in Abbassia. The medical faculty of Ain Shams University and its aff ...

, next to the Demerdash Hospital, part of the

Ain Shams University Ain Shams University () is a public university located in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 1950, the university provides education at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. History Ain Shams University was founded in July 1950, the third ...

. The mosque is named after

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Al-Amir Abu or ABU may refer to: Aviation * Airman Battle Uniform, a utility uniform of the United States Air Force * IATA airport code for A. A. Bere Tallo Airport in Atambua, Province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia People * Abu (Arabic term), a kun ...

, known as Shaykh Demerdash, who is buried in the mosque.

History

The mosque was built in the early 16th century during the

era of Egypt. The original land where the mosque was built on was a gift from Sultan

Qaytbay Sultan Abu Al-Nasr Sayf ad-Din Al-Ashraf Qaitbay (; 1416/14187 August 1496) was the eighteenth Burji Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from 872 to 901 A.H. (1468–1496 C.E.). He was Circassian by birth, and was purchased by the ninth sultan Barsbay ( ...

to thank Sidi Demerdash for his service. A mosque was built there for him. When the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

arrived in 1524, Sidi Demerdash died and he was buried in the corner of the mosque. During the

French occupation of Egypt The French invasion of Egypt and Syria (1798–1801) was a military expedition led by Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars. The campaign aimed to undermine East India Company, British trade routes, expand French colonial ...

, the Demerdash Mosque and surrounding buildings were plundered by the French troops. Demerdash pasha palace and Mosque 23rd May 1897

Architecture

The area of the main mosque building is approximately 110 (11 x 10) square metres. The mosque is topped with an onion dome which has sixteen small openings on the bottom, eight of which are open as windows and the other eight are closed as a mere ornamental design. Three large muqarnas stand in each of the four corners of the mosque. Inside the mosque, the tomb of Sidi Demerdash is located north of the minbar, in a corner of the mosque. His grave is covered by a

zarih A zarih (, , ) or ḍarīḥ () is a lattice structure which usually encloses a grave in a mosque or an Islamic shrine. In some cases, it can also surround a religious relic on display. A zarih is built by skilled craftsmen. It can be made out ...

enclosure made out of lathed wood. In the western side of the mosque there is a tomb dedicated to one of the wives of the

Khedive Khedive ( ; ; ) was an honorific title of Classical Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the Khedive of Egypt, viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.Adam Mestyan"Khedive" ''Encyclopaedi ...

of Egypt,

Hassan Effendi Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

. Then in the eastern side, another grave is present, which is that of

Sinan Pasha Koca Sinan Pasha (, "Sinan the Great", ; c. 1506 – 3 April 1596) was an Albanian-born Ottoman Grand Vizier, military figure, and statesman. From 1580 until his death he served five times as Grand Vizier. Early life Sinan Pasha, also known ...

Incidents

The Demerdash Mosque became a place where theft was prevalent. Residents also complained that the bathrooms in the mosque were not in a good condition.

References

External links

Government Website of Islamic artifacts
{{coord, 30.075166, 31.277294, display=title Mosques completed in the 1520s Religious buildings and structures completed in 1523 Mamluk architecture in Egypt Mosque buildings with domes in Egypt Mosques in Cairo 1520s establishments in Africa

History

Architecture

Incidents

See also

References

External links