Al-Fustat – The First Islamic Capital of Egypt
Today, al-Fustat is part of the Old Cairo district.
After the Arab conquest in 21 AH / 641 AD, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab wanted to establish a new capital for Egypt and decided to give up Alexandria, the former capital during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
Fustat was founded by General ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, making it the first Islamic capital of Egypt.
The city’s name is derived from the Arabic word “Fustat”, meaning “tent”, named after the camp that the army of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As set up at the future site of the new capital.
The very first building in al-Fustat was the Mosque of Amr ibn al-‘As, also known as al-‘Atiq – “the Old Mosque.”
Today, al-Fustat remains one of the most historically rooted areas in Cairo, containing many archaeological sites, such as the Ben Ezra Synagogue, more than seven ancient churches, the Mosque of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, the excavated remains of the old city of al-Fustat, the Nilometer on Rawda Island, the al-Manesterly Palace, and the Mohammad Ali Palace in al-Manyal.
The Hanging Church
The church consists of a courtyard divided into four wings separated by three rows of marble columns.
A wooden semi-domed ceiling covers the main hall.
The church also houses an inscribed granite baptismal font and a marble pulpit supported by ten mosaic-decorated columns.
The pulpit dates back to the 11th century AD.
On the eastern side, there are five altars, each topped with wooden domes.
The ceiling of the church was designed to resemble Noah’s Ark.
The Hanging Church is famous for its icons that adorn its walls.
The oldest dates back to the 15th century AD, while most others are from the late 18th century.
The Nilometer on Rawda Island
The Nilometer on Rawda Island was built by order of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil in 247 AH / 861 AD, and it is one of the oldest surviving structures in Egypt.
It is also the oldest structure built after the Arab conquest (20 AH / 640 AD) that has survived in its original form.
The annual seven-day celebration of the Nile flood, which lasted from the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century, was attended by the Sultan himself along with his senior officials.
The Nilometer consists of an octagonal marble column, measuring 19 cubits in height, located in the center of a stone-lined well that is rectangular at the top and circular at the bottom.
Quranic verses about water, vegetation, and prosperity are carved into the well’s walls, along with measurement markings on the column to determine the level of the flood as the water rose inside.
A spiral staircase descends along the inner wall of the well.
The Mosque of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As
The Mosque of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As is the oldest surviving mosque in Egypt and Africa.
General ‘Amr ibn al-‘As was one of the first companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
After the conquest of Egypt in 20 AH / 640 AD, he founded the first Islamic capital, Fustat, in the area that is now modern-day Cairo.
A year later, under the order of Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, he also founded the Mosque of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, making it the first building in the new capital.
In the early years following the conquest, the mosque served as a gathering place for the Muslim community and the troops of ‘Amr, who at that time were still a minority in Egypt.
Several companions of the Prophet contributed to its construction, including al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awam and Ubada ibn al-Samit.
The structure underwent several reconstructions over the centuries, so very little of the original building remains today.
What stands in Old Cairo now is the 20th-century reconstruction of the mosque.
However, it still reflects the simplicity of early Islamic architecture, evolving from a palm-trunk shelter into elegant arcaded halls where worshippers continue to pray to this day.
