Juyushi Mosque

The Juyushi Mosque stands on the Muqattam heights in Egypt and is an early example of Fatimid architecture. Its name derives from the title Amir al-Juyush, meaning "Commander of the Armies", held by its patron Badr al-Jamali. Sources describe it as one of the first mosques in Cairo to be built of stone. Its architectural importance lies especially in its minaret, regarded as the oldest surviving Fatimid minaret in Egypt. The building is registered as number 304 in the inventory of Islamic monuments, and it is also noted for its distinctive architectural decoration.

The mosque was commissioned by the vizier Badr al-Jamali during the reign of the Fatimid caliph al-Mustansir Billah, in 478 AH (1085 CE). Some sources give the date as 1086. It was built on the edge of the Muqattam hills.

Badr al-Jamali was a mamluk of Armenian origin who had been purchased by Jamal al-Dawla ibn Ammar, hence the epithet al-Jamali. He rose through the ranks and, under al-Mustansir, became governor of Damascus in 455 AH (1062 CE). The title Amir al-Juyush, which he held, gave the mosque its name.