The mosque of Sultan Ahmed bin Tolun
With the directions of Rasulullah in his dream, Sultan Ahmed bin Tolun built a mosque in Cairo in 265 Hicri (879 AC). It has been assumed to be a castle however the steadiness and resistance of its double walls and pillars have never been seen in one. It is a large square shaped building in the size of the Kaaba. It is a large square shaped building in the size of the Kaaba and is 26m in height.
The mihrab of the mosque is the most authentic qibla of all as it was directed by Rasulullah (saw) it has spiritual presence. Hz Musa used to put his sheep out to pasture and had performed worship in this area. This mosque is an extremely old ma’bed (place of worship) where its mihrab was the post of Hz. Musa (as) and Hz Hizir (as). The favourable worldly and hereafter prayer of whomever that performs Salah in the mihrab at dawn will be accepted.
The courtyard encloses a Kaaba like dome withholding a remedial pool beneath it. A date tree is present at the left side of the pool, where its likes have never been seen in Egypt. With the permission of Rasulullah the date trees of Madina used to cultivate but is currently not available. The courtyard is fitted entirely with white marble. The minaret at the far north of the mosque is four cornered with three surrounding balconies and is quite artistically crafted.
Muezzins enter the minaret from the outside, facing 200 steps at the top, It has been so finely crafted by its created Kamil, that it cannot be expressed with words but is destitute to be seen. Besmeleh is written upon the left side of the wall of harem (a part of a Muslim dwelling allocated to women).
In the era of Sultan Suleyman, Hz. Karahisari visited the mosque while on his journet to the Kaaba and wrote a 40 foot long Besmeleh on the wall as a memento. It’s a great piece of calligraphy that deserves to be seen with each ‘elif’ as long as 5.44 metres.
The Tolun mosque and the Besmeleh of Karahisari are quite renowned to the Arab and Persian travellers. The left side of the mosque has two double walled minarets making a total of three. Its engraved wooden minber will bewilder spectators.(From the travel journel of Saint Celebi)
