Ruler
Ahmad ibn Tulun
Founder of the Tulunid dynasty
835 – 884 CE
Lifespan; he governed Egypt from 868 CE.
Biography
A commander of Turkic origin sent by the Abbasid caliphate to govern Egypt, who made it almost independent. He built a new capital, al-Qataʾi, with his mosque, which still stands.
Key facts
Certainty: Established
The mosque of Ibn Tulun was built between 876 and 879 CE and is the oldest mosque in Cairo to survive in its original plan.
- Doris Behrens-Abouseif (1989) “Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction” Brill
- Archnet (Aga Khan Trust for Culture / MIT) “Jamiʿ Ibn Tulun — Archnet” archnet.org