Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque is not only important for its central location in a historic neighborhood but is also known for its significant legacy of Cairo’s medieval past. It was built in 1344 AD by Baha’ al-Din Aslam - a Mamluk prince with an important political and social standing in the Mamluk royal court who took the rank of a Silahdar (the one responsible for the arms and weapons). The mosque was part of a complex that included horse stables, tenement housing and a private home. The mosque is the only part of the complex, which is still standing now.
Its architecture suggests that Prince Aslam used a very competent expert in design who had a good knowledge of materials. The plan of the mosque in the interior consists of a central roofed hall surrounded by four iwans. As always the biggest of the four iwans is that of the qibla. In the middle of the qibla wall, is the mihrab, which is adorned by colorful marble mosaics. Next to the mihrab, is a wooden pulpit (mimbar) decorated with the twelve- figured star plates. On its southern side facing Aslam Square, there is a domed mausoleum accessible through an entrance from the southwestern iwan of the mosque. The mausoleum is square- shaped inside with a tiled stone and on the southeastern wall is a curved mihrab. The exterior ornamentation of the dome is specific with its inscription band made of colored ceramic glazed tiles.
The “Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe” restored the mosque it to its original state in 1904 AD. From 2006 to 2009, the Aga Khan Trust For Culture undertook a comprehensive restoration, followed by the urban upgrading of the Aslam Square.
| Location: | Cairo, Egypt |
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| Coordinates: | 30.039201, 31.260875 |
| Built: | Est. 745 AH / 1344 AD |
| Governing body: | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
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| Architectural Type: | Mosque |
| Architectural style: | Mamluk. |
The Mosque of Al Saleh Tala’i was built by the Armenian Saleh Tala’i Ibn Ruzik, who was a Minister under the rule of the Fatimid Khalif Al Faaez Bellah. The building is located outside of the gates of Fatimid Cairo and is considered the last mosque to be built in the Fatimid era in 555 AH/1160 AD. It is also considered the second Fatimid mosque to be built outside the walls of Cairo near to the Gates after the mosque built by Al Hakeem.
