Juyushi Mosque, Fatimid mosque at Muqattam hills, Egypt.
Juyushi Mosque is a stone structure located on the Muqattam hills with a prayer hall featuring cross-vaults and a dome above the mihrab section. The building combines an octagonal base with a distinctive domed form that defines its appearance.
The building was constructed in 1085 as Cairo's first stone mosque under Badr al-Jamali, minister of Caliph al-Mustansir. This construction marked a shift in local architecture and demonstrated new building techniques of the Fatimid era.
Inside, the walls display fine stucco work and Arabic inscriptions that reveal how Fatimid craftsmen decorated sacred spaces. These details show what religious architecture meant to people during that era.
This site sits at about 127 meters elevation on the Muqattam hills and is difficult to reach. Visitors need special permission to enter because the location falls within a military zone.
The building serves both as a mosque and as a mashhad, combining two different religious functions in one structure. This dual purpose is uncommon and shows how the site accommodated different forms of worship.
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