Sayeda Aisha Mosque

{{Short description|Mosque in Cairo, Egypt}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox religious building

| building_name = Sayyida Aisha Mosque
مسجد السيدة عائشة

| image = Sayyida Aisha Mosque2.jpg

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| location = Cairo, Egypt

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| religious_affiliation = Islam

| region = Africa

| functional_status = Active

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| architecture_type = Mosque

| architecture_style = Islamic

| year_completed = 14th-century (foundation)
1971 (renovation)

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Sayyida Aisha Mosque ({{Langx|ar|مسجد السيدة عائشة}}) is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt. It contains the tomb of Aisha bint Ja'far al-Sadiq, a female scholar who was one of the daughters of Ja'far al-Sadiq.{{Cite web |last=egyptopia.com |title=Mosque of Sayyida Aisha in Cairo - Main Destinations in Egypt : Cairo, Much More Than a City : Mosques in Cairo : - |url=https://egyptopia.com//en/articles/Egypt/cairo/Mosque-of-Sayyida-Aisha-in-Cairo.s.29.13087/ |access-date=2023-11-12 |website=egyptopia.com |language=en}} The mosque is named after her and is located near Salah ad-din Square on a similarly named street.{{cite web |url=https://beta.sis.gov.eg/en/egypt/tourism/religious-tourism/sayyida-aisha-mosque/ |title= Sayyida Aisha mosque |website=sis.gov.eg |access-date=2023-11-16}}

History

The mosque is named after Aisha, daughter of Jaafar al-Sadiq, son of Muhammad al-Baqir, son of Ali Zain al-Abidin, son of Hussein, son of Ali ibn Abi Talib. She was the sister of Musa al-Kazim. She died in 145 AH (762–3 CE). Her tombstone reads: "This is the tomb of the honorable Lady Aisha, one of the children of Jaafar al-Sadiq, son of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, son of Ali ibn Abi Talib."{{Full citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The original structure was a small shrine over the grave of Sayyidah Aisha, topped by a dome. When Saladin ruled Egypt, he ordered the construction of a madrasa next to the shrine. When the new city walls of Cairo were built in the same era, the madrasa was separated from the tomb and a new gate was opened in the wall, called Bab Sayeda Aisha or Bab al-Qarafa.{{Full citation needed|date=September 2024}}

In 1762, a new mosque was attached to the shrine and madrasa by Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, a Mamluk emir during the time of Ali Bey al-Kabir.

In 1971, the old mosque, madrasa and shrine were demolished. A new mosque was erected in its place, which still stands today. When the Sayeda Aisha Bridge was built,{{When|date=September 2024|reason=This sentence was copied separately from another article. It may be referring to 1971, but this needs confirmation and clarification.}} the Qarafa Gate was demolished and Fayda Kamel renovated the Sayeda Aisha Mosque to its current state.Hassan Abdulwahab: History of Mosques, pp. 323-326.{{Full citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Architecture

The original building before the Ayyubid period had roughly square plan and had a dome resting on two layers of muqarnas.

The 1971 restoration expanded the mosque into its present form. It has two doors; one for men, which leads to the prayer hall, and another side door for women, which leads directly to the tomb chamber. The mosque has a large dome, which is supported by eight concrete pillars in a circular formation. On the dome is in inscription which reads: "Aisha has a bright light and joy, and her dome in which supplications are answered." The mosque has one minaret.

See also

References

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