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 This exceptional structure
lies in the Darb al-Ahmar
district next to Suq Al-Silah
Street in Cairo, which means the weapon Market Street thought
this is not
the case.
The Darb al-Ahmar street is
also sometimes called Darb
al-Tabbana and is extremely rich with various Islamic
monuments such as the old Fatimid gate, Bab
Zuweila and opposite it is the
Mosque of Sultan al-Mu’ayyad Shaykh both of which are very impressing
buildings.
Al-Ishaqi Mosque dates back to the Circassian Mamluk
period. It was built between 1479 and 1481 during the reign of
Sultan Qaytbay by
Prince Sayf al-Din Qijmas who occupied several important posts at the time.
He was the master of the Sultan’s stables, held the post of
treasurer and was officer in charge of the yearly pilgrimage
to Mecca.
The Ishaqi Mosque has the most remarkable facades overlooking Darb
Al-Ahmar street and another narrow alley. It projects an
amazing view with its beautiful towering minaret and dome seen
while walking down the street from the direction of
Bab
Zuweila.
The dome is plain stone and
the minaret has a central section, which is somehow unfamiliar
for this period.
 
Left:
Wooden ceiling of the Qibla iwan; Right: Detail of quranic inscription in the vestibule
The main
façade is above the street level and is crenelated, with a muqarnas
(stalactites) corbel and several grilled windows. Above the
entrance portal is a magnificent panel of ablaq
marble panel featuring black, white and red leaf forms
contained in a tri-lobed groin-vaulted arch.
 
Left:
View of al-Ishaqi Mosque minaret and dome; Right: Detail of the ceiling inscriptions
Two
stone bench are found on each side of the entrance above which
is a Quranic
inscription; “In the
name of God the compassionate, the merciful, mosques are for
God, lets none take God’s name in vane.” The mosque
door is decorated with a central bronze medallion that is
probably not the original one.
 
Left:
View of the open corridor leading into the mosque durqa'a;
Right: Interior view of the qibla iwan with the mihrab and mimbar
The
entrance leads into a small vestibule with an impressing
gilded ceiling. It opens onto a roofless corridor that works
as a distribution area, a lighting and ventilation zone for
the ground floor.
 The
entrance leads into a small vestibule with an impressing
gilded ceiling. It opens onto a roofless corridor that works
as a distribution area, a lighting and ventilation zone for
the ground floor.
The
floors are paved with marble panels and are in a very good
state. The interior is richly decorated with colored glass
windows, fine stone carvings, marble panels and a carefully
decorated mihrab in
the qibla iwan all roofed by a marvelous decorated wooden ceiling.
As was common, the
mosque is built above shops that occupy the street level. They
are continuous all around the exterior walls of the mosque.
This was generally the case in most of the religious buildings
to generate income for preserving the establishment in a good
state.
 
Left:
Bridge leading to the Kuttab on the opposite side of the alley;
Right: View of the Sabil on the street façade and the shops over which the mosque is elevated
The
Sabil is situated on the street façade near the entrance.
The
mosque is attached to a separate structure, the sabil-kuttab
situated across the alley and reached from the interior of the
mosque by an elevated passage or bridge covered with wooden  mashrabbeyas. This bridge created a beautiful narrow arched alley
where trades and crafts men display their products. This
building is now used as an elementary school.
Prince
Qijmas al-Ishaqi died in Syria in 1487 where he was governor and was
buried in Damascus. In 1852, a man named Abu Hurayba was buried in the tomb chamber of the complex is reached
through the qibla
iwan.
This is why the mosque is mostly known as Abu
Hurayba mosque.
The mosque was restored twice, in 1894 and again in 1982 and so, it
remains today in a good condition.
This
complex is considered to be one the most important of the
reign of Sultan Qaytbay for in it, high standards of workmanship and skills were
used and are seen in it’s design and decorative elements.
An interesting fact about this mosque is that its façade appears on the
Egyptian fifty-pound note indicating further more its
importance up till this day.
Egyptain Fifty Pound Note
See
also:
References:
Original research by Lara Iskander
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