Shahd Alhamdan

Saudi Gazette

 

CAIRO — The Mosque of Al-Hakim Beamr Alah is located on the Moez Street on the outskirts of old Cairo. The construction of the mosque was started by Al-Aziz Bin Alah Al Moez, one of the Fatimid Caliph in 990 AD, but he died long before the mosque was completed.



During the course of the mosque's construction, Al-Aziz prayed in it, and lead the prayers too one day.



Al-Aziz's son Al-Hakim Beamr Alah then took the responsibility of completing the mosque after his father's death; and that is why the mosque, which got completed in 1012 AD, is named after him.



Al-Hakim, who was born in Egypt, was the 6th Fatimid Caliph; he started to reign the country when he was just 11 years old.



Many people considered him as the last and the strongest Caliph in the Fatimid period.



The mosque holds an important position in the history of Cairo, due to the events that have taken place there.



It was the only mosque where the Friday prayers were held at the time of Salah Aldin Alayoubi, after he annulled the Friday prayers to take place at Al-Azhar Mosque.



The mosque was then turned into a castle during the French campaign on Egypt, and its minarets were used as control towers.



It was later also used to manufacture glass and silk.



In 1880, the mosque was used as a museum of Dar Al-Athar Al Arab (Museum of Islamic Art), and after sometime it was being used as a school.



The mosque's minarets which were destroyed by an earthquake was restored by Prince Rukn al-Din Baybars Aljashnkeer, who was ordered by King Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammed to look into the mosque's renovation.



The mosque was once again refurbished during the reign of King Nasser Hassan.



Today the mosque's unique minarets attracts scores of tourists from all over the world.