City of a Thousand Minarets
Hello everyone.. hope you are all well and are having a nice summer or winter depending on the hemisphere.
Time for a catch up.. it has been a minute.
Our trip this summer was very different from our usual adventures. We started our trip with a week in Egypt. While most people hear Egypt and think pyramids, the city of Cairo has a very different significance for us. As Shia Muslims, Cairo is home to many important religious sites, shires and mosques.
The Fatimid dynasty, a Shia Muslim dynasty, ruled over North Africa and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean from 909 to 1171 AD, with Cairo as their capital. The Fatimids transformed Cairo into a thriving city, constructing grand palaces, mosques, and other public buildings as well as saw significant advancements in various fields, including architecture, art, and education. Al-Azhar University, one of the oldest universities in the world founded in 970 by the Fatimids, became a leading center of learning.
Time for a catch up.. it has been a minute.
Our trip this summer was very different from our usual adventures. We started our trip with a week in Egypt. While most people hear Egypt and think pyramids, the city of Cairo has a very different significance for us. As Shia Muslims, Cairo is home to many important religious sites, shires and mosques.
The Fatimid dynasty, a Shia Muslim dynasty, ruled over North Africa and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean from 909 to 1171 AD, with Cairo as their capital. The Fatimids transformed Cairo into a thriving city, constructing grand palaces, mosques, and other public buildings as well as saw significant advancements in various fields, including architecture, art, and education. Al-Azhar University, one of the oldest universities in the world founded in 970 by the Fatimids, became a leading center of learning.
The first and most important stop is Al Hussein Mosque - grandson of the Prophet.
Next is Sayeda Zainab Mosque - grand daughter of the Prophet.
Third is Sayeda Nafisa Mosque
And lastly is Mosque of Sayeda Ruqayya which was closed to renovations.
All four of these mosques have inside them shrines with the tomb of their namesakes.
Cairo is known as the city of 1000 minarets though it is reported that there are over 2000 mosques in the city, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun being one of the largest and oldest, constructed in 884AD.
Other mosques we visited were Al Azhar Mosque
Al Aqmar Mosque
Amr bin Al Aas Mosque - The oldest mosque in Africa built in 642AD. (Although the building has been rebuilt and modified many times after its foundation)
Juyushi Mosque - the mosque is situated inside a military zone and is open to visitors with special permission. We were able to visit it but no photographs were allowed. Below is the mosque from a distance.
and Al Hakim Mosque
When not visiting mosques we visited the famous Khan El Khalili market.
Comments
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
Have a great week,
S
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/08/02/review-soulmatch-by-rebecca-danzenbaker/
By the way, I just put up a new post. Feel free to check it out at www.melodyjacob.com.
rsrue.blogspot.com
What a wonderful trip! The mosques are beautiful and the market looks like a fun place to explore.
Take care, have a great day!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Allie of
www.allienyc.com