Historic Cairo · circa 990–1013

The Mosque of al-Hakim in Cairo

Historical profile of the Fatimid Mosque of al-Hakim, begun circa 990 and completed in 1013, with conservation notes and official Egyptian sources.

Research collection

Foundation and completion

The large congregational mosque known as al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah was begun under the Fatimid imam-caliph al-ʿAziz around 990 CE and completed under his son al-Hakim in 1013. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities records the site’s location near Bab al-Futuh at the northern end of al-Muʿizz Street.

Al-Hakim Mosque courtyard in Cairo
Photo: Wael Mostafa / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · No modifications · Source ↗ · Licence ↗
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Plan and architectural character

The mosque includes a broad courtyard bordered by arcades and a monumental projecting entrance. Two minarets flank the main frontage. The site was at one time outside the earliest Fatimid wall, later enclosed by the enlarged fortifications. Its present appearance incorporates the results of successive restorations.

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Sources and references

Sources are selected for traceability. Physical monuments may reflect later rebuilding and restoration as well as Fatimid-era structures.

  1. Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Mosque of al-HakimOfficial history of the mosque from circa 990 to 1013
  2. UNESCO — Historic CairoWorld Heritage account of historic city fabric and Fatimid monuments
  3. Cairo Governorate — Famous MosquesCivic authority history of major Cairo mosques
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