A tale of two mosques
After four years of intensive restoration two mosques in the Al-Sayeda Zeinab district of Cairo have officially reopened. Nevine El-Aref attended the opening ceremony
While a large crowd was assembled round her mosque to celebrate the annual mulid (birthday) of Al-Sayeda Zeinab, daughter of the Prophet Mohamed, another group of archaeologists and officials, led by Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, stood at the feet of the mosques of Sarghatmish and Qanibay Al-Mohammadi to announce their official reopening.
The mosques have hidden under scaffolding and piles of sand for 11 years, since the earthquake of 1992 brought destruction to the area. Both mediaeval mosques have undergone repair under the ambitious Historic Cairo Restoration Programme (HCRP), launched six years ago by the Ministry of Culture to rescue the city's past splendour. However, the project to remove the signs of time that have taken a heavy toll on these historic edifices began only four years ago. The harm that had to be addressed and rectified was caused by misuse of the area by residents and worshippers, environmental pollution, including groundwater which had undermined their foundations, and the adverse effect of the earthquake which caused severe cracks.
"The leaking of water from the madiaa' (a fountain used for ritual ablution), the outdated sewerage and the encroachment of traders on both historical buildings over the centuries were the most serious causes of the damage," Hosni said, adding that shopkeepers who rented stalls in the narrow street running parallel to both monuments had been largely responsible for their deterioration. The cracked walls and masonry and the condition of the ceiling and the water fountain was critical. The ceiling decorations were heavily stained with smoke, while most of the flooring was broken. "Both mosques, which are a gift from the unequaled treasure house of Islamic architecture, had been closed to prayer and visitors," Hosni said.
"However, skilled craftsmen and handicraft stores are essential to the distinct character of this part of Cairo. The government is keen on settling tradesmen in their original locations, but in a manner that complements the area."
He indicated that unless they changed their activities workers whose small enterprises were adversely affected by the proximity of the monuments would be transferred elsewhere. In this case, the government would help provide training courses and materials for new businesses.
Aymen Abdel-Moneim, the archaeologist responsible for the HCRP, said the main aim of the restoration carried out by the Ministry of Culture and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) was to strengthen the foundations and protect them from future damage. This was achieved using the "micro- pile system" which, he said, was the installation of sharp pointed columns beneath both complexes to reinforce their foundations. The walls were also reinforced, missing and decayed stones replaced and masonry cleaned and desalinated. "Both mosques now stand as proudly as they did in the past," Abdel- Moneim said.
Parts of the damaged marble floor of the water fountain have been dismantled, restored and replaced in the original position. Missing fragments of Qur'anic texts embellishing the Sarghatmish mosque have been replaced, and the authentic white and black marble floor has been cleaned and missing pieces replaced.
However, some historians are concerned that the ministry has been guilty of shoddy workmanship at the Sarghatmish mosque. According to an internal report prepared for UNESCO by a monitoring mission that visited Cairo two years ago, "despite the impressive work executed in the mosque and madrassa (school) of Sarghatmish" it was criticised as having been subjected to "overnight cleaning of the façade with sand abrasive under high pressure... which has destroyed delicate detailing in the stone masonry... New marble paneling is being applied in the interior of the courtyard although no elements remain of the original dado."
The former director of the Islamic and Coptic department at the SCA, Abdullah El-Attar, responded to such criticism during the International Symposium on the Conservation and Restoration of Islamic Cairo organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. He said the Sarghatmish mosque had been restored according to documents containing a description of the mosque left by Prince Sarghatmish himself, in which he described the marble. "As for the wooden panels, these were a technique used in Islamic monuments to separate and consolidate the marble," El-Attar said.
"I am very proud that both mosques have regained their original youth. I could easily smell the aroma of Islamic history in both monuments," said Zahi Hawass, secretary- general of the SCA, who confirmed that all the restoration had been carried out according to the latest and most scientific methods. "Every effort was made to ensure that all original architectural features were retained."
The mosque and madrassa of Sarghatmish and the mosque of Qanibay Al-Mohammadi are in Saliba Street, close to such important Islamic monuments as the mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, the madrassa and sabil-kuttab of Sultan Qaytbay, the Gayer Anderson House, the mosque of Raghri Bardi and the mosque and madrassa of Hassan Pasha Tahir. Until the 14th century, this area was dotted with waste and rubbish heaps along with cemeteries and private estates. The redevelopment of the Citadel under Sultan Al- Nasser Muhamed led to the transformation of this zone into an urban area, and Saliba Street became a major thoroughfare. Princes built town houses, palaces, mosques and schools in the area.
The mosque and madrassa of Sarghatmish are attached to the northeast wall of the Ibn Tulun mosque and were originally part of the Ibn Tulun complex, but were turned into houses. In 1356 these houses were demolished by Prince Sarghatmish, a Mamluke in the reign of Al-Nasser Mohamed Ibn Qalawun, so he could build his own mosque and madrassa. This renowned Mamluke prince was the jamandara (wardrobe keeper) of Al-Nasser Mohamed Ibn Qalawun. His prominence dates from the reigns of Al- Nasser's minor sons, when he took an active part in battles waged on their behalf. In 1354, supporting Prince Shaykhu, he was one of the principal agents in the reelection of Sultan Hassan, and after Shaykhu's assassination he became the Amir Kabi or "great prince". He was virtual ruler of Egypt for Hassan, who in 1358 had Sarghatmish thrown into prison and put to death. He was buried under the dome of his madrassa.
The Sarghatmish madrassa is a good example of the type founded in the mid-14th century by Mameluke emirs in support of higher Qur'anic studies, prophetic traditions and jurisprudence. It comprises an open court with a water fountain at its centre, surrounded by eight marble pillars and four iwan (vaulted halls). The mihrab (the point faced during prayer) of the mosque has a panel of white marble with a medallion in the centre and four quarter-medallions in the corners. Hidden among the leaf and stem forms of he arabesque design are six birds and five hands. On the north corner of the façade are finely carved mashrabiya (wooden lattice) windows.
Near the Sarghatmish complex lies the small and compact Qanibay Al-Mohammadi mosque, built in 1413. The owner, known as Qanibay Al- Saghir, was a high-ranking official in the reigns of Al-Zaher Barqouq and Farag Ibn Barqouq. When Al-Mu'ayyed Sheikh became Sultan, he appointed Qanibay as his representative in Damascus, but in 1415 he rebelled against Al- Mu'ayyad who in turn put Qanibay to death.
Internally, the mosque is a large oblong room twice bisected by horseshoe arches. The space is plain in decoration. On either side of the mihrab are two white marble panels carved with a central medallion and with quarter-medallions in the corners. At the sanctuary end, the beamed ceiling and its supporting niches have been repainted and the ornate decoration stands out once more.
At the end of the opening ceremony Hosni promised that next month would witness other completed projects, restored to coincide with Ramadan and provide more mosques for worshippers.
