The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities will launch a virtual tour on Monday through its official website of the Mosque-Madrassa-Khanqah of Az-Zaher Barquq complex on al-Moez Street in Old Cairo.
The Mosque-Madrassa is a religious complex located on al-Moez Street established by Sultan al-Zahir Barquq, the founder of the Mamluk Burji dynasty rule in Egypt.
It was inaugurated in 788 AH (Islamic calendar) / 1386 AD.
The complex is one of the largest architectural heritage collections in the world, consisting of an open courtyard and four iwans (rectangular Islamic hall), the largest of which is the qibla iwan – which includes a marble mihrab, a wooden pulpit, a Quran chair, and a bench.
On top of the entrance facade is a minaret and dome that was renovated in 1310 AH / 1892AD, characterized by written inscriptions in naskh script from Quranic verses which bear the date of its construction and its constructor’s name.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced earlier in April that it was teaming up with scientific and archaeological institutes to offer a series of virtual and guided video tours of a various museums and archaeological sites across Egypt.
This initiative, recently launched under the slogan “Experience Egypt from Home. Stay Home. Stay Safe”, aims to enable people worldwide to embark on a journey through the ancient Egyptian civilization during their home confinement as part of precautionary measures taken to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
In cooperation with the American Research Center in Cairo, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities presented on Friday its first tour of these virtual series exploring the Menna Tomb in Theban Necropolis.
The tours are available on the Ministry’s official website and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Experience Egypt).
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
