Egypt & Nubia, Volume III, No. 8: Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo (1842–49): Art, History and Details

Egypt & Nubia, Volume III, No. 8: Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo (1842–49) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Louis Haghe (British, 1806–1885); David Roberts (Scottish, 1796–1864).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The mosque and madrasa, school, of Sultan Hassan was built between 1356 and 1363 during the Mamluk period (1250–1517) in Egypt. The prestige of the project attracted craftspeople from across the Islamic world, which likely contributed to its innovative design. It is possible that stone from the Great Pyramid of Giza was used in its construction. This print features the central courtyard (sahn) with ablutions fountain (for washing one’s hands, feet, and face before prayer) and two of four monumental iwans, three-walled, vaulted rectangular halls. The interior walls and floor are covered in lavish stone and marble mosaics.

Object facts

• Title: Egypt & Nubia, Volume III, No. 8: Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo
• Date: 1842–49
• Creator attribution: Louis Haghe (British, 1806–1885); David Roberts (Scottish, 1796–1864)
• Culture: England
• Type: Print
• Technique: color lithograph
• Collection: PR - Lithograph
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1953.532

A detail from the museum

The minbar, a staircase-like pulpit from which a sermon is delivered by the prayer leader, imam, after Friday services, is visible in the hall on the left side of the print.

Collection credit

Gift of J. Byers Hays

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.