Abstract
Cairo is one of the most architecturally rich cities in the world, and its panorama is dominated by hundreds of mosques from various historical periods. From the beginning of the 19th century to the present day, mosque architecture has undergone a rapid and unprecedented development worldwide, reflecting many different factors.
The most significant changes were related to the growing influence of the Western architecture and associated global architectural trends. However, mosque is a very specific type of building, which is characterised by a continuous use of references to the past.
This tendency has manifested itself with various intensity throughout the last three centuries. The architecture of Cairo's mosques is therefore largely determined by the relationship between tradition and modernity.
The first part of the book consists of an introduction to the mosque architecture in general, and to the pre-modern traditions of Islamic architecture, which became a frequent source of inspiration for current architects. The core part of the book is divided into four chapters, corresponding to four main periods of development from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day.
The chapters include more than twenty selected examples, representing the dominant trends in Cairo. The text is supplemented by hundreds of unique photographs, which were taken by the author during his research in Cairo.