Misr and Mosque: Architectural Splendour and Political Authority in Medieval Cairo

This illustrated talk explores the meaning and function of Cairo’s Friday mosques as discussed in a collection of legal opinions (fatwas) by the 14th century Sunni jurist al-Subki (d. 1355). Al-Subki puts forward an elaborate treatise using the historical development of Friday mosques in Cairo between the 8th and 14th centuries to explore two interrelated issues: 1) the location, space, and adjacencies of the Friday mosque, focusing on the permissibility of multiple Friday prayers in one city; and 2) the nature of government and political authority, focusing on the Friday mosque’s role in reaffirming the role of the caliph and/or his representatives.

This event has very kindly been sponsored by The Park Gallery, who have provided the venue. The Park Gallery specialise in Modern and Contemporay Middle Eastern Art.

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