Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque

Mahmud al-Kurdi Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الكردي) or Jamal al-Din Mahmud al-Istadar Mosque (Arabic: مسجد جمال الدين محمود الاستادار) is a historic mosque in Cairo, Egypt. It was founded by an amir called Mahmud al-Kurdi who was the ustadar or majordomo of the Mamluk Sultan Barquq.^[1] It is located just south of the Qasaba of Radwan Bey (or Tentmakers' Street) which branches out from the Ahmad Maher Street, in Historic Cairo, in the district of al-Darb al-Ahmar.

Mosque of Mahmud al-Kurdi
Religion
District	Al-Darb al-Ahmar
Status	active
Location
Location	Islamic Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
Geographic coordinates	30°02′28″N 31°15′27″E
Architecture
Style	Mamluk, Islamic
Founder	Mahmud al-Kurdi
Completed	1395
Specifications
Minaret(s)	1
Materials	stone

History

The mosque was completed in 1395.

Restoration work by the Ministry of Antiquity begun in 1979 and was completed in 2004. Subsequently, the minaret was plastered in white.^[1]

Architecture

This small mosque has a few notable characteristics. The dome is among the earliest stone domes to be carved with a horizontal chevron pattern.^[1] This style replaced the pre-14th century brick and plaster ribbing on such domes. The dome is sitting on the drum with eight windows. The minaret is also notable for its round form which is unusual for this period, and was heavily used later on the Ottoman architecture. Each of the facade, window frame and the door has original inscriptions and decorations. The metal doors to the mosque are themselves of excellent craftsmanship, featuring geometric star patterns and arabesque carvings across the surface. The interior has two iwans and is notable for its resemblance to a qa'a (reception hall in domestic or palace architecture), which possibly indicates that the mosque was converted from a house.^[1]

Gallery

• 
  The interior of the mosque, which resembles the reception hall (qa'a) of a house or mansion.
• 
  The metal doors of the mosque, with geometric and arabesque patterns.

See also

• Lists of mosques
• List of mosques in Africa
• List of mosques in Egypt
• History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes

References

1. Williams, Caroline (2018). Islamic Monuments in Cairo: The Practical Guide (7th ed.). Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.