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MODERN EGYPT

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Bianca
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« on: January 05, 2009, 10:26:43 pm »




             

              The prayer hall inside
              the Sheikhu Mosque.








The mosque and khanqah were named after the Amir Sheikhu, who built them between 1349 and 1355, during the early Mamluk period.

Sheikhu was an Amir Kabir (Grand Prince) under the Sultan Al-Nasir Hassan. His responsibilities were primarily military, and he was an important member of the Sultan’s power structure. In keeping with the tradition of the time, Sheikhu constructed the two religious buildings towards the end of his life, an act of religious devotion intended to make up for a somewhat worldly career.

Abdullah Al-Attar, an official from the Ministry of Culture present for the unveiling, explained the origins of the buildings.

“Amir Sheikhu was a military man,” he told Daily News Egypt. “Many such princes were quite radical and concerned with power. However, by the end of their lives, they would build mosques in order to purify the negative deeds they had done during their life. They wanted to go to heaven, and in the Quran it says that those who build mosques will have a palace in heaven.”

The Sheikhu Khanqah performed a role roughly similar to that of a madrassa, although the term ‘khanqah’ is borrowed from the Persian language and was originally associated with the Sufi sect. The khanqah’s role as a place of religious contemplation and study can be seen in the warren of small rooms built off the main courtyard.

“These study areas are traditionally for old men who maybe have families and jobs, but who want to come here for a few hours in the night to study and pray,” continued Al-Attar. “Such a man wants to travel to heaven in his mind, and then return to his family or work in the morning.

“The idea is to allow people to separate from society for a while and just be with God.”
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