In 379 A.H. (989 A.D.), Al-Aziz Billah the Fatimid began building a second mosque outside Bab Al-Futukh. In the year 380 AH (1100 AD) God commanded him to complete the construction of the Al-Hakim Mosque. This happened in the Fatimid era.

 

Al-Hakim be Aamr Ellah Mosque:

In 379 A.H. (989 A.H.) Al-Aziz Billah the Fatimid began building a second mosque outside Bab Al-Futuh, but she died before it could be completed. It was a familiar mosque to her son, al-Hakim, who completed its construction in 403 AH (1012-1013 AH). In the year 380 A.H., the ruler at the time, Al-Aziz Bell, ordered this to build the Al-Hakim Mosque.

 

Description of the mosque:

Smaller than the Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque in area, its length is 12,005 meters and its width is 113 meters. Two massive pyramidal plinths, one above the other, anchor the two minarets to the outside of the building. There are two cubes that make up each base. Each foundation consists of two cubes, one somewhat taller than the bottom cube and the other the same height as the top cube. From each of these two taller cubes rises an octagonal minaret, and between them is a high entrance to the historic mosque.

There is also an octagonal minaret in the middle of this bank. newly constructed wall and arch; The entrance is outside on the left. The entrance, marked by the remains of magnificent letters, 1.60 meters high, leads to the mosque’s courtyard surrounded by owls. The words can be seen on the left.

 

Mosque restoration:

The mosque was abandoned for some time at this point, and its lanes were taken over by local merchants for storage purposes. This continued until the Bohra Shiite leader began returning to Egypt at the request of President Anwar Sadat. Both happened at the same moment. Sadat was summoned to the mosque because a holy man had arrived there by order of God. No attempt was made to assassinate him, despite widespread concern to the contrary.

Since then, many Bohra Shiites have migrated to Egypt and established permanent communities there, particularly in the picturesque historical neighborhoods of Cairo and its suburbs, where they found employment as shoppers and workers. Those of any religion are encouraged to visit and pray in the mosque. Many Druze, who worship only one god, from neighboring Arab countries go to the mosque of Egypt to pray and receive blessings.

 

Criticisms of the restoration process:

The mosque’s restoration efforts were noted with great interest. According to Professor Jalal Al-Shayeb at the College of Fine Arts, the renovation “led to archaeological modifications, and it is now a new edifice, after wasting its archaeological value dating back a thousand years, leaving only two minarets of historical importance.”