The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Ţūlūn (Arabic: مسجد أحمد بن طولون) is located in Cairo, Egypt. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area.
The mosque was commissioned by Ahmad ibn Ţūlūn, the Abbassid governor of Egypt from 868–884 whose rule was characterized by de facto independence. The historian al-Maqrizi lists the mosque's construction start date as 876 AD, and the mosque's original inscription slab identifies the date of completion as 265 AH, or 879 AD.
The mosque was constructed on a small hill called Gebel Yashkur, "The
Hill of Thanksgiving." One local legend says that it is here that Noah's Ark came to rest after the Deluge, instead of at Mount Ararat.
The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world.
It is also believed to be the world's first successful attempt at
constructing a "true" smooth-sided pyramid. Local residents refer to the
Red Pyramid as el-haram el-watwat, meaning the Bat Pyramid.
The Red Pyramid was not always red. It used to be cased with white Tura
limestone, but only a few of these stones now remain at the pyramid's
base, at the corner. During the Middle Ages much of the white Tura
limestone was taken for buildings in Cairo, revealing the reddish sandstone beneath.
These aren't real postcards, more like cardboard with picture.
Thank you, Asmaa !
Sent on: November 3, 2013
Received on: November 25, 2013
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