Summary: Ahmad ibn Tulun (835–84), the son of a Turkic slave in the Abbasid court of Baghdad, became the founder of the first independent state in Egypt since antiquity, and builder of Egypt’s short-lived third capital of the Islamic era, al-Qata’i‘ and its great congregational mosque. In telling the story of Ibn Tulun and his successors, architectural historian Tarek Swelim presents a topographic survey of al-Qata’i‘, a city lost since its destruction in 905. He provides a detailed architectural analysis of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, which was spared the destruction and is now the oldest surviving mosque in Egypt and Africa. Rare archival illustrations and early photographs document the changing appearance and uses of the mosque, while extraordinary 3D computer renderings take us back in time to recreate its architectural development through its early centuries. Plans, drawings, maps and striking modern colour photographs showcase the elegant simplicity of the building’s architecture and decoration. This definitive book will appeal to those interested in or inspired by the beauty of early mosque architecture.

We regret to inform you that this title is no longer available.
Please contact us if you need additional assistance.