Escapism
Salaam,
Over the weekend, equipped with my guidebook, i thought i would venture out into "Islamic Cairo" (not surprising if you read the post below regarding what goes on in the area I live in...) and alhamdulillah it proved to be a breath of fresh air and almost like traveling back in time...
For Jum'ah my flatmate and i prayed in Masjid Sultan Hassan, a 600 year old mosque where the Mufti of Egypt is the khateeb. This was a classic open-courtyard mosque with a beautiful central area for making wudhu and a very intricate Mihrab. After this, we visited Masjid Rifa'i which is opposite and got to see a Rifa'i hadra taking place (Rifa'i is a sufi tariqa and this mosque is named after the founder of this tariqa - I took some footage of the hadra...so inshaAllah i'll put it up later). These two mosques are literally next to each other and the sheer height of them is breath taking, especially considering how long ago they were built.
Following this, we walked for five minutes and went to the famous citadel, which I think was started by and was living quarters for Salah ad-Din. Here we visited the various sights including the Muhammad Ali mosque, named after Muhammad Ali Pasha , the gentleman who revitalised the fortunes of Egypt in the 19th Century. As the citadel is located on one of the hills which makes up Cairo there were Amazing views of Cairo from here, including the previously mentioned mosques as well as being able to just about see the pyramids in the background.
Not yet tired, we then ventured to Masjid Ibn Tulun, which is supposed to be the largest mosque in Egypt (by area covered anyway). Alhamdulillah this was a beautiful mosque (which these days is pretty much empty and devoid of activity..) but standing in the middle of the courtyard, you could just imagine it packed with worshippers and students thirsty for Islam...
And then finally, tired and worn out since we had been walking walking all day, we returned to Nasr city, and back to the neon lights, the music blasting out, the skimpy clothes and to the secular "modernism" of Egypt in the 21st century...
Salaam
Over the weekend, equipped with my guidebook, i thought i would venture out into "Islamic Cairo" (not surprising if you read the post below regarding what goes on in the area I live in...) and alhamdulillah it proved to be a breath of fresh air and almost like traveling back in time...
For Jum'ah my flatmate and i prayed in Masjid Sultan Hassan, a 600 year old mosque where the Mufti of Egypt is the khateeb. This was a classic open-courtyard mosque with a beautiful central area for making wudhu and a very intricate Mihrab. After this, we visited Masjid Rifa'i which is opposite and got to see a Rifa'i hadra taking place (Rifa'i is a sufi tariqa and this mosque is named after the founder of this tariqa - I took some footage of the hadra...so inshaAllah i'll put it up later). These two mosques are literally next to each other and the sheer height of them is breath taking, especially considering how long ago they were built.
Following this, we walked for five minutes and went to the famous citadel, which I think was started by and was living quarters for Salah ad-Din. Here we visited the various sights including the Muhammad Ali mosque, named after Muhammad Ali Pasha , the gentleman who revitalised the fortunes of Egypt in the 19th Century. As the citadel is located on one of the hills which makes up Cairo there were Amazing views of Cairo from here, including the previously mentioned mosques as well as being able to just about see the pyramids in the background.
Not yet tired, we then ventured to Masjid Ibn Tulun, which is supposed to be the largest mosque in Egypt (by area covered anyway). Alhamdulillah this was a beautiful mosque (which these days is pretty much empty and devoid of activity..) but standing in the middle of the courtyard, you could just imagine it packed with worshippers and students thirsty for Islam...
And then finally, tired and worn out since we had been walking walking all day, we returned to Nasr city, and back to the neon lights, the music blasting out, the skimpy clothes and to the secular "modernism" of Egypt in the 21st century...
Salaam
posted by Me at
6:35 PM
2 Comments:
wots the domed building infront of the two mosques?
and why are they so close is it like the different schools of thought or is like paki thing "wahabi" and "berelvi"
By
Anonymous, at 9:12 PM
You said a bad word there (paki) but i'll let it pass this time...
Not sure what you're on about though - which domed building in front of the two mosques...? Isn't there Another small mosque in front of the two mosques...?
It Is weird though having two enormous mosques 15 metres away from each other - walking in between is breath taking though as on both sides it feels like you're walled in...
Salaam
By
Me, at 2:33 PM
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