page_title: Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya
section_title: Architecture
hierarchical_section_title: Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya / Architecture
caption_attribution_description: English: The Fatimid wooden mihrab of the Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya, at the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo. Dating from 1154-60 CE, commissioned by the wife of the Caliph al-Amir (see "The Illustrated Guide to the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo" (O'kane, 2012), p. 85).
context_page_description: The Mashhad of Sayyidah Ruqayyah, also referred to as the Mausoleum or Tomb of Sayyida Ruqayya, is a 12th-century Islamic religious shrine and mosque in Cairo, Egypt. It was erected in 1133 CE as a memorial to as-Sayyidah Ruqayyah, a member of the Prophet Muhammad's family. It is also notable as one of the few and most important Fatimid-era mausoleums preserved in Cairo today.
context_section_description: The mashhad is an important example of Fatimid architecture, and bears resemblances to the Mashhad of al-Juyushi in its layout. Its entrance is preceded by triple-arched portico, as well as by two mihrabs (niches symbolizing the direction of prayer) on either side. Inside the mausoleum, the space is dominated by the shrine and cenotaph, but of great architectural significance are three more mihrabs. The central mihrab is an exceptionally fine work of stucco decoration. It is often considered a masterpiece of stucco carving in Egypt's architectural history. The overall design of the mihrab is reminiscent of the main portal of the Fatimid-era Aqmar Mosque, but elaborates it further and arguably represents a culmination of this design. Like the other two mihrabs, it consists of a "keel"-shaped niche with radiating ribs, beyond which are elaborate arabesque and calligraphic carvings. At the center of the niche is a medallion that contains the name "'Ali" surrounded by five iterations of the name "Muhammad" linked together.
  The silver zarih (shrine or tomb enclosure) surrounding the cenotaph is a more recent donation from the Dawoodi Bohra, spiritual descendants of the Fatimids. It replaced a richly-crafted wooden zarih that stood there before and originally came from the nearby shrine of Sayyida Nafisa. The mashhad also housed a freestanding wooden mihrab which is considered one of the finest examples of its kind from the Fatimid period. The mihrab is now on display at the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. It may have originally been used in the courtyard of the mashhad and/or for special occasions.
  The dome is fluted (ribbed) and pointed, with an octagonal drum or base. On the inside, the transition from the octagonal base of the dome to the rest of the square chamber is achieved through a series of superimposed niches acting as squinches and giving the vague impression of stalactite-like forms. These foreshadowed the more elaborate muqarnas pendentives that would increasingly be used in later Islamic architecture in Cairo. The drum of the dome also is pierced with ornate lobed windows with stucco grilles, a rare form for such windows that is only seen again in the windows of the much later Sinan Pasha Mosque.
caption: The wooden mihrab, dating from 1154-60, which was once used for the Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya. (Now on display at the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo.)
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