Mosque of Sinan Pasha at Bulaq

Mosque of Sinan Pasha at Bulaq

This mosque is situated at Bulaq, and is built by Sinan Pasha, the governor of Egypt under the Ottoman rule, who built it during his second governorship in (979 H./1571A.D.). This mosque is considered the second mosque built in Egypt on the Ottoman style after mosque of Soliman Pasha El-Khadem at the citadel.  

The Founder

Sinan Pasha was an experienced Turkish commander, who witnessed four Ottoman Sultans: Sultan Soliman El-Qanouny, Sultan Selim 2nd, Sultan Murad 3rd and Sultan Mohammed Khan. He was charged with many challenging tasks during their reigns, because of his great political and military experience.

He was appointed governor of Egypt twice, first in (975 - 976 H./1567 - 1568 A.D.) and secondly in (979 - 981 H./ 1571 - 1573 A.D.), then he was called back to Istanbul to be assigned as the great vizier of the Ottoman Empire.

During the reign of Sultan Selim 2nd, he was charged with the task of conquering and opening Tunisia. He succeeded in beating the Spanish army and putting his hands on the Tunisian castles in 25th Gamada 1st (981 H./ 1573 A.D).

During the reign of Sultan Murad 3rd, he was assigned as the great vizier of the Ottoman Empire for the second time in (988 H./ 1580 A.D), then was appointed Governor of El-Sham where he built a famous mosque still standing nowadays. Then he called back again to Istanbul to be assigned as the great vizier of the Ottoman Empire for the third time during the best Ottoman eras.

He died on his 80 years old in (1004 H./1596 A.D.) after a lifetime of great works. He also constructed a number of civil, beneficent and religious architectural buildings. It was said that he lived a very wealthy life, that his annual income was nearly 400000 pound.

The Description

The Exterior Description

This mosque has four free facades crowned by a cresting in the shape of the triple floral leaf. Three of them - the South-Western, North-Eastern and North-Western - are similar, and each one them consists of an arched arcade of marble columns and stone piers, covered by shallow domes decorated with floral and geometrical decorations. In the middle of each of the three facades, is an entrance topped by tri-lobed arch decorated with stalactite. The entrance door consists of two wooden shutters, and crowned by a keel arch.

The fourth facade (the South-Eastern or the Qibla facade) consists of a number of recesses crowned by stalactite tops. Each recess contains a rectangular metal grill window in the lower part, and a circle window (Qamariya) in the upper part. 

The minaret stands on the western corner of the mosque, and is built on the Ottoman style, which is cylindrical in form. It has one gallery and ends with a conical top.

The Interior Description

This mosque is planned on the Ottoman style, that is consists of a square prayer hall (Haram El-Salah) measuring 15 m. a side, covered by a large central dome. This prayer hall is surrounded on the North-Eastern, North-Western and South-Western sides by three aisles (Riwaqs) roofed by shallow domes resting on arches, supported by marble columns and stone piers, and forming the facades of the mosque.

The central dome is built of stone internally and brick externally. It is supported by large arches decorated with stalactite caps inscribed with the word Allah, forming spherical triangle pendentives at the corners. The drum of the dome contains a number of pierced stucco windows filled with colored glass, and round its base is a gallery, with a wooden balustrade. The dome Surface is plain and is lined with plaster.

The prayer niche (Mihrab) is crowned by a pointed arch decorated with Ablaq joggled voussoirs and carried on two marble columns. The hood of the Mihrab is decorated with colored zigzag decorations, while the middle part of the Mihrab is decorated with geometrical designs in the shape of star patterns.

Beside the Mihrab, is a wooden pulpit (Minbar), consists of a wooden front door crowned by a cresting, leads to a staircase ends on the Imam’s seat, which is surrounded by an open pavilion crowned by a cresting and topped by a conical top. The two sides (Risha) of the pulpit are decorated with geometrical designs, and topped by a balustrade made of turned wood

The caller's podium is in the form of a balcony opposite the Mihrab and above the North-Western wall. It is reached, together with the gallery round the base of the dome, by a staircase in the wall.

We shall see later on that Mohammed Bek Abo El-Dahab copied the design of his mosque - which built opposite Al-Azhar mosque - from that of this mosque, with the exception of the minaret.