ISLAMIC CAIRO - STUDIO BASEL · faTimids In its early years, the Fatimid City, Al-Qahira, was simply a royal and military refuge. Fustat ... Al-Sayyd Nezar M. , Streets of Islamic

– 3 –– 2 –

ISLAMIC CAIRO

0 1000 800 n.Chr.

Nilebank 800 Nilebank today

Babylon

Acces to the Red Sea

Fustat

Al-Askar

Al-Qatai‘l

Site selectet by Jawhar 969

0 1000969 n.Chr.

Al-Qahira

Garden

Palaces

Bab al FutuhBab al Nasr

Bab Zuweila

Ayyubid WallBulaq

Citadel

Cemetery

Azbakiya

Birqat al-Fil

Al-HusayniyahBulaq

Citadel

Azbakiya

Birqat al-Fil

Cemetery

Cemetery

1870 n.Chr.

Bulaq

Citadel

Muhammed Ali Boulevard

Muski Street

The firsT muslim seTTlemenTs

This area is a site of several cites constructed by the ancient Ecyptians and the Persian Babylonians. The city of Fustat near the remains of he Bay-lonian fortress was the first Muslim settlement. After that, settlements as Al-Askar of the Abba-sids and later Al Qata’i of Ahmed ibn Tulun were built further north. In 969 the Shii’te Fatimid Caliphate conquered Egypt and developed a first plan (rectangular grid) for their city on a new site (Al-Qahira, al Mu‘izz).

faTimids

In its early years, the Fatimid City, Al-Qahira, was simply a royal and military refuge. Fustat (Misr) remained a commercial metropolis. 1087 a new wall had to be built because Al-Qahira had expanded outside of its walls. The main street was called Bayn al-Qasrayn (today: Al-Muiz li-Din Allah) which means‚ between the palaces‘ and goes from Bab al Futuh to Bab al Zu-weila.The structure within the walls was almost a rectangular grid with wide streets.

ayubbids (family of salah al-din)As the Ayyubids came to power, Salah-al-Din, principle ruler, built a gigantic wall encercling Fustat and Al-Qahira and opened the former princely city to the public who began to bild in its spaces and gardens, changing the old func-tion and structure of the Fatimid‘s city. It was de-veloped a very dense pattern of houses that built new streets. The citadel between Al-Qahira and Fustat became the seat of governement during the Ayyubids reign.

mamluks

During the period of the Bahri Mamluks Cai-ro experienced a great growth. It was during al Nasir‘s reign that Cairo experienced its greatest change and the western development was encou-raged by the construction of Khali al-Nasiri. The Bahri Mamluks are famous for their ambi-tious building activity of madrasas, mosques, sabil-kuttabs etc.. Under the ruler of the Burij Mam-luks Cairo began a remarkable recover or revival after the plague of the Black Death and famine.

oTToman

With the Ottoman Cairo becamea provincial ca-pital. The old part of the city got less important as the centre moved westwards to Azbakiya (espe-cially the elite). During the rule of Muhammed Ali and his sucessor a replanning of the streets, new zoning plans and the restauration of mo-numents became crucial. 1798 the French inva-sion influenced the structure of the city with its military strategies. New Streets as Sharia Muski or Mohamed Ali Boulvard were built.

presenT

Due to the exponential expansion of Cairo the last few years a lot of new districts were developed and are still growing vastly. While decentralisati-on proceeds, the islamic part of the city is de-terorating. The city is endeavoured to conserve and reconstruct the medieval heritage but ignores the ramshakled medieval residential areas next to the monuments. Capacity overload of traffic is a big problem. But there are also positive developments for example the Al-Azhar park.

969-1076

Fatimids Dynasty

Al-Qahira

1174-1250

Ayyubids

Salah al-Din

1250-1382

Bahri Mamluk

Dynasty

1516-1918

Ottoman

639

Muslims Capture

Babylon

1798

Napoleon

1801

British Takeover

1863

Enlightened Rule :Ibrahim

Pasha and Muhammad Ali

1922

Egyptian Independence

2010

A.A. Mussa Wazir

1382-1517

Burji Mamluks

1979

UNESCO inscription

of islamic part

641

Foundation

of Fustat

750-1258

Abbasid Dynasty

972

Al-Azhar

1012

Al-Hakim

1175

Madrasa system of

school indtroduced

1309-40

Reign of Muhammed

ibn Qala‘un, greatest

mamluk builder

1900-2010 n.Chr.

Citadel

Al-Azhar Park

Roda

7.9 Mio. Admin. City

20 Mio. Greater City

- ISLAMIC CAIRO-

DRAFT© ETH Studio Basel

– 5 –– 4 –

El-M

asou

riah

Southern Walls(Fatimid)

Al-Azhar Street

Gawhar El-Qaaed Street

Nafak Elazhar Street

Khan el-Khalili

Al-Hakim Mosque

Al-Azhar University

Al-

Mui

zz li

-Dee

n Ill

ah

El-G

aish

Ahmed Maher

Legend

Mosques

HotelsSchool (Madrasa and University)

Kuttab-Sabil

CommercialMainstreet of medieval architectural treasures

Bab Al-Nasr

Bab Zuweila

Bab Al-Futuh

Northern Walls(Fatimid)

Ayyubid Wall

Ayyubid Wall

Al-Azhar Park

El-M

asou

riah

Southern Walls(Fatimid)

Al-Azhar Street

Gawhar El-Qaaed Street

Nafak Elazhar Street

Khan el-Khalili

Al-Hakim Mosque

Al-Azhar University

Al-

Mui

zz li

-Dee

n Ill

ah

El-G

aish

Ahmed Maher

Legend

Mosques

HotelsSchool (Madrasa and University)

Kuttab-Sabil

CommercialMainstreet of medieval architectural treasures

Bab Al-Nasr

Bab Zuweila

Bab Al-Futuh

Northern Walls(Fatimid)

Ayyubid Wall

Ayyubid Wall

Al-Azhar Park

map:

American Research Center of Cairo

Abb 1: Sabil Kuttab A. R. Kathkhuda

Abb 2: Qalawun Complex

Abb 3: Sultan Muayyad Mosque

Abb. 4: Babal-Futuh

Abb. 7:Al-Azhar Mosque

Abb. 6: Khan el-Khalili

Abb.5: Dead-End-Street

Abb. 8.: Al-Azhar Park

MONUMENTS


– 7 –– 6 –

Al Mu‘izz Street

Al-Mu‘izz Street is probably the oldest and most

stable street of Fatimid Al-Qahira. Starting from

Bab al-Futuh and ending at Bab Zuweila, it cop-

rised the main spine of the city. Its structure and

appearance changed continously. In the following,

the influences of the empires on this street and on

the monuments are documented.

AL-HAKIM 990-1013

Wide triangular spaceparallel to street centerline and vertival to Qiblahuman proportions in size and hightrecessed Domes

Irregular space with variable dimensions and many sides, Entrance usually narrowMonumental scaleMinaret has various locationsDomes recessed

AL-SalEH (AYYUBIDS)

Small rectanglar space with recessed sidesAligned with centreline of streethuman scale in size and hightDome sometimes protruding on the street

BAHRI MAMLUKKANGHA OF BAYBARS

trapezium space with regular sides composing various shapeshuman/monumental scale and deep proportionsminarets are usually located at the end of the space or where the space meets the streetlocation of minaret decided according to its position within the urban settingdomes on corners, very close to spaces

Khanga of Baybars

Abu Al-Dahb

Al-Barquqiya

very small spaces on the street, except if in a vista positionmonumental scaleminarets are in variable positionsdomes do not usually appear except from the axial view

AL-HAKIM 990-1013



AL-SalEH (AYYUBIDS)




Khanga of Baybars

Abu Al-Dahb

Al-Barquqiya


AL-HAKIM 990-1013



AL-SalEH (AYYUBIDS)




Khanga of Baybars

Abu Al-Dahb

Al-Barquqiya


AL-HAKIM 990-1013



AL-SalEH (AYYUBIDS)




Khanga of Baybars

Abu Al-Dahb

Al-Barquqiya


AL-HAKIM 990-1013



AL-SalEH (AYYUBIDS)




Khanga of Baybars

Abu Al-Dahb

Al-Barquqiya


Abb. 9 Sreetstructure

Structure of the Al Muizz Street: commercial

buildings approachable by primary streets, resi-

dential area accessible by the secondary dead end

streets.

FATIMIDS AYYUBID BAHRI MAMLUKS BURIJ MAMLUKS OTTOMAN

Com

mer

cial

/Res

iden

tial

Com

mer

cial

/Res

iden

tial

Roy

al West Palace

Old Wall and gates

Rahbat Al-Hakim

New wall of BadrBab Al-Futuh

Al-Hakim Mosque

Al-Aqmar Mosque

East Palace

Dar Al-Ilm

Al-Afkhar Mosque

Bab Zuwaila

Al-Saleh Mosque

1000

Com

mer

cial

Com

mer

cial

Edu

catio

nal Ruins of the Eastern

Palace used as the Great Bimaristan

Ruins of the Western Palace

Al-MadrasaAl-Salihiya

Al-MadrasaAl-Siyu�ya

Al-MadrasaAl-Kamiliya

1000

Res

iden

tial/

Com

mer

cial

Rel

igio

us/E

duca

tiona

lC

omm

erci

al

Bishtak Palace

Khanqah of BaybarsAl-Gashankir

Al-Madrasa Al-ZahiriyaOalawun Complex

Al-MadrasaAl-Nasiriya

1000 1000

Com

mer

cial

Com

mer

cial

/Res

iden

tial

Edu

catio

nal

Rel

igio

us

Hamman Ienal

Al-Madrasa Al-Barquqiya

Al-Madrasa Al-Ashra�ya

Al-Ghuri Complex

Al-Muayyad Mosque

1000

All

Com

mer

cial

/Res

iden

tial

Mosque of Al-Silahdar

Sabil Kuttab Katkhuda

Sabil Muhammad Ali(Nahassiyn)

Mosque of Sheikh Mutahar

Mosque ofAbu Dhahab

Mosque ofAl-Fakahani

Sabil Muhammad Ali(Aquadiyn)

Wekela of Saiyda Na�ssa

Sabil KuttabAl-Silahdar

1000

Spaces

Facade

Qibla direction

Abb. 11: Al-SalihiyaAbb. 10: Al-Hakim Abb. 12: Khanqah of Baybars Abb. 13: Al-Madrasa Al-Barquqiya Abb. 14: Mosque of Abu Dahab

Floorplan

Wide triangular space

parallel to street centerline and vertival to Qibla

Small rectanglar space with recessed sides

Aligned with centreline of street

Irregular space with variable dimensions and many sides

Entrance usually narrow

trapezium space with regular sides composing various shapes small spaces on the street

AL MU‘IZZ


– 9 –– 8 –

SOURCES IMAGE CREDITSBooks

Al-Sayyd Nezar M. , Streets of Islamic CairoA Configuration on urban themes and patterns, 1981

Sanders Paula , Creating medieval Cairo, Cairo : The American University in Cairo Press, 2008

Campi Mario; Bucher Franz, Cairo / Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Abteilung für Architektur, Zürich : Professur Mario Campi,1997

Williams Caroline, Islamic Monuments in Cairo, The practical Guide, The American University in Cairo Press, 2004

Internet

http://archnet.org/library/images/index.jsp?collection_id=23

http://www.planetware.com/map/cairo-map-egy-cai_ce.htm

http://archnet.org/library/places/places.jsp?country_code=eg

http://archnet.org/library/places/places.jsp?country_code=eg

www.archnet.org/library/documents/

Titlepicturehttp://namasteegypt.com/media-gallery/

Abb. 01http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mitopencourse-ware/popular-interesting/

Abb. 02http://www.flickr.com/photos/37779490@N06/3507587649/

Abb. 03http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muayyad_mosque.PNG

Abb. 04http://www.discoverislamicart.org/exhibitions/ISL/fati-mids/exhibition.php?theme=1&page=2

Abb. 05http://aelfwine.net/egypt/?page_id=3

Abb. 06http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3932706

Abb. 07http://www.geo-reisecommunity.de/bild/188815

Abb. 08http://everydaytrash.com/2009/03/03/al-azhar-park/

Abb. 09Panerai Phillipe, Analyse Urbaine, collection eupalinos, 2009

Abb. 10http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mitopencourseware/popular-interesting/

Abb. 11http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ayyub.htm

Abb. 12http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/khanqahbar-quq.htm

Abb. 13http://www.flickr.com/photos/16102025@

N00/129525768

Abb. 14http://www.flickr.com/groups/islam/pool-with/3458674173

map: American Research Center of Cairo/


Documents

ISLAMIC CAIRO - STUDIO BASEL · faTimids In its early years, the Fatimid City, Al-Qahira, was simply a royal and military refuge. Fustat ... Al-Sayyd Nezar M. , Streets of Islamic