Mosque of Ibn Tulun is the second oldest in Cairo and in ancient times was used as an administrative building. It was named in honor of the Abbasid governor of Egypt, Ahmed Ibn Tulun, and was originally bordered on his palace. Erected the mosque of Ibn Tulun was in 879 AD on a small hill, where, according to local legend, stopped Noah's Ark after the Flood.

Mosque of Ibn Tulun was built in the style of the Grand Mosque in Samarra (Iraq). To this day the mosque has retained its appearance, which she had since the mid 19 century. The temple is a huge rectangular fort that surrounds the massive walls decorated with high battlements. At the mosque has a square courtyard with arched galleries on three sides, under which there are indoor facilities. The yard is paved with stone and the middle of it is a fountain for ablutions. Above the fountain was later erected arched structure. From the south, the courtyard becomes prayer hall. The minaret was designed in the shape of a spiral, which is a feature of this mosque. The walls of the mosque are made of brick and covered with plaster - this method of construction was uncharacteristic for Egypt at the time, he borrowed from the masters from Baghdad.

Mosque been reconstructed several times and restoration. Her last update was in 2004. In medieval times, near the walls of the temple was built a number of buildings, most of which were destroyed in the 30 th, 20 st. The remaining two buildings, called "House of the Chinese woman" and "House Amny, daughter of Salem," which were later connected to the bridge at the fourth floor.

Initially, this mosque was erected as a temple for prayers crowded that could accommodate all the residents of the city on the Friday service. According to legend, the plan of the mosque was designed by a Christian architect, who especially for this released from prison, where he was sitting. However, the name of the architect is not preserved.

The minaret of the mosque can be seen from the farthest corners of the city.