Photo of The Day

Short stories about traveling to interesting places

07/09/09

Astonish view from in Cairo from Ibn Tulun Mosque. Egypt.

The Ibn Tulun Mosque is a huge and historic mosque in Cairo built by Ahmad Ibn Tulun. The oldest mosque in Egypt and one of the largest in the world, it is also famed for its lovely architecture and unique minaret. The minaret, the only one of its kind in Egypt, is modeled after the minarets of Samarra, with a spiral staircase around the outside. Andalusian influence can also be seen in the horseshoe arches of the minaret windows and elsewhere - this was brought to Egypt by Muslim refugees who were driven out of Spain by the Reconquista (1212-60). The Mosque is a great place to see, but the views from Cairo City are even more surprising.

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