Al Hakim biamrillah (985 - 1021)

Al-Jam`e Al-Anwar (Arabic: الجامع الانور‎, Anwar Mosque, literally:The Enlightened Mosque) also Al-Hakim Mosque is a major Islamic religious site in Cairo, Egypt. It is named after Imam Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985–1021), the sixth Fatimid caliph,16 th Fatimid/Ismaili Imam and the first to be born in Egypt.

The mosque was originally built as an enclosure by the Fatimid vizier Gawhar Al-Siqilli (c. 928–992), but was incorporated into the extended fortifications built by Badr al-Jamali. It consists of an irregular rectangle with four arcades surrounding the courtyard. An unusual feature is the monumental entrance with its projecting stone porch. It is located in "Islamic Cairo", on the east side of Muizz Street, just south of Bab Al-Futuh (the northern gate).

The minarets

The most spectacular feature of the mosque are the minarets on either side of the facade, reminiscent of the propylon to a pharaonic temple.

Originally the two minarets stood independent of the brick walls at the corners. These are the earliest surviving minarets in the city and they have been restored at various times during their history. The massive salients were added in 1010 to strengthen their structure, and the northern minaret was incorporated into the city wall. Inside, these strange structures are hollow, for they have been built around the original minarets, which are connected with brackets and can still be seen from the minaret above.

Post-Fatimid era

At various times, the mosque was used as a prison for captured Franks(i.e. Latin crusaders) during the Crusades, as a stable by Saladin, as a fortress byNapoleon, and as a local school. As a result of this the mosque had fallen out of use.

In 1980 ACE/1401 AH, the mosque was extensively refurbished in white marble and gold trim by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin the head of the Dawoodi Bohra, an international Ismaili sect based in India.

Despite the renovations, remnants of the original decorations are still seen: stucco carvings, timber tie-beams, and Quranic inscriptions.

Today

Today the mosque is a place of worship. Its unique minarets attracts local and foreign tourists. Al-Hakim Mosque is now a place for Egyptians to feed pigeons and enjoy the calm and peacefulness of the Mosque.

Abu ‘Ali Mansur Tāriqu al-Ḥākim, called Al-Hakim bi Amr Allāh (985 – 13 February 1021 [?]) (Arabic: الحاكم بأمر الله‎; literally "Ruler by God's Command"), was the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili imam (996–1021). Al-Hakim is an important figure in a number of Shia Ismaili religions, such as the world's 15 million Nizaris and in particular the 2 million Druze of the Levant whose eponymous founder Ad-Darazi proclaimed him as the incarnation of God in 1018. In Western literature he has been referred to as the "Mad Caliph", primarily as a result of the Fatimid desecration of Jerusalem in 1009, though this title is disputed as stemming from partisan writings by some historians (such as Willi Frischauer and Heinz Halm).

Histories of Al Hakim can prove controversial, as diverse views of his life and legacy exist. Historian Paul Walker writes: “Ultimately, both views of him, the mad and despotic tyrant irrationally given to killing those around him on a whim, and the ideal supreme ruler, divinely ordained and chosen, whose every action was just and righteous, were to persist, the one among his enemies and those who rebelled against him, and the other in the hearts of true believers, who, while perhaps perplexed by events, nonetheless remained avidly loyal to him to the end."

Photographer: Aris Amir
Text: Wikipedia