Egypt registers Mosque of Baybars Al-Khayyat on list of Islamic antiquities

CAIRO – 20 November 2024: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy has issued a ministerial decree to officially register the Mosque of Baybars Al-Khayyat, situated in Al Godareya street in Cairo’s Darb al-Ahmar district on the list of Islamic antiquities.

The mosque holds significant historical and archaeological importance, belonging to the Mamluk era. It is adorned with distinctive architectural elements, intricate decorations, and precise inscriptions.

Gamal Mostafa, the head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities Department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, recounted the mosque's history, built by Prince Baybars bin Abdullah bin Abdul Karim bin Omar, a relative of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri.

The mosque features a shrine topped by a dome. According to Egypt Historical Guide, the mosque's minaret collapsed in 1884 and has not been rebuilt.

Mohamed Ismail Khalid, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that the mosque's dome was previously registered in 1951 as an Islamic and Coptic antiquity, with the recent ministerial decree now encompassing the entire mosque.

Baybars Al-Khayyat is known to have started as a personal tailor to Sultan Qansuh, as inscribed on the decorative band beneath the qibla iwan, later assuming the role of chief “Amir Akhur” (A Mamluk rank) accompanying the Sultan on his journeys.

He then served as a “Muqadin Alf” a senior commander leading hundreds of soldiers but was later demoted due to Sultan's displeasure.

Baybars Al-Khayyat joined Sultan Qansuh in battles against the Ottoman armies in the Levant and met his end in the Battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516.