13th-Century Cairo Mosque Reopened Following Restoration

The 13th-century Mosque of al-Zahir Baybars in Cairo, Egypt, was reopened on June 4, following centuries of disuse.

The mosque was restored in cooperation with the Kazakh government, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. Restoration efforts started in 2007, the ministry said.

The opening ceremony was attended by Egyptian Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb and the chair of the Senate of Kazakhstan, Maulen Ashimbayev.

According to the ministry, the mosque was used as a military fort during the French campaign in Egypt between 1798 and 1801. The mosque’s minaret was destroyed during this time. The British Army used the mosque as a warehouse until 1915, the ministry said.

The mosque was commissioned by the Turkic Mamluk ruler of Egypt, Sultan Baybars al-Bunduqdari, in 1266, the ministry said.

The ceremony was one of several events hosted in Egypt and Kazakhstan commemorating the 800th anniversary of the birth of the sultan, Ashimbayev said. In a Facebook post, he wrote, “This year is the 800th anniversary of the birth of Sultan Baybars, our famous ancestor, who was born in the Kazakh steppes and ruled Egypt. This is an important event for both countries.” Credit: @senate_kz via Storyful

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