Project Director: Dr. Kamal Hefny

Historic era: Fatimid Dynasty

Project Location: Historic Cairo

Project Duration: 1995 – 1997

The mosque of Al-Salih Tala’i was constructed in 1160 AD, during the period when Cairo served as the imperial capital of the Fatimid caliphs. Amir Al-Salih Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, formerly the governor of the Upper Egyptian town of Ashmunein, was invited to Cairo in 1154 to reestablish order following a period of upheaval and violent rivalry within the palace. He accomplished this effectively and then served as vizier for two consecutive juvenile caliphs (Behrens-Abouseif, 1989: 76). A longstanding narrative asserts that he designed the mosque he established to serve as a shrine for the head of al-Husayn, which was brought from Askalon to Cairo by Al-Salih himself. The Caliph is said to have resisted and to have positioned the relic within the palace, where it remains today in the mosque of Sayyidna al-Husayn in Cairo (Behrens-Abouseif, 1989: 76). 

The mosque of Al-Salih Tala’i possesses several remarkable features, one of which is its construction over a series of shops, resulting in trenches encircling the mosque on all sides, akin to the Al-Aqmar Mosque. These trenches have been adversely affected by groundwater for several decades, impacting the structural integrity and stability of the mosque's walls (Behrens-Abouseif, 1989: 76).

Since 1995, the American Research Center in Egypt has integrated the principle of infrastructure-based conservation into the paradigm of cluster or area conservation. This arises from the clear understanding that restoring a monument without rectifying the fundamental issues of the surrounding infrastructure is ineffectual (Williams, 2001: 599). Accordingly, Dr. Kamal Hefny in collaboration with several esteemed experts conducted multiple studies and investigations on the groundwater at the Al-Salih Tala’i Mosque. These studies led to the execution of a substantial dewatering and installation of a new tile drain system, which covered not only the mosque's trenches but also the entire vicinity of Darb Al-Ahmar Street.

Statement of Responsibility

Groundwater has adversely affected the trenches of the mosque of Al-Salih Tala'i for several decades, impacting the structural integrity of the mosque's ancient walls. Under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Dr. Kamal Hefny conducted a feasibility study and field investigations in order to assess the groundwater conditions in the Al Salih Tala’i Mosque, evaluate the proficiency of a previously proposed project for dewatering and installation of a new tile drain system for Al-Salih Tala'i, and assess its potential impacts on the mosque’s foundation. Dr. Hefny also conducted further inspections and studies to evaluate the installation of newer tile drains for Al-Salih Tala'i and the improvement of the surrounding area sewage system. The feasibility study and the field investigations were made possible with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (formerly the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities).

Funding

The project of dewatering and installation of a new tile drain system in the trenches of the mosque of Al-Salih Tala’i and its surrounding area was facilitated through funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant number: 263-G-00-93-00089-00 and administered by the Egyptian Antiquities Project (EAP) of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE). 

See the mosque of Al-Salih Tala’i on Google Maps here

Additional Resources

• The Aga Khan Trust for Culture: Al-Saleh Tala’ea Mosque

• The Rare Books and Special Collections Digital Library at the American University in Cairo: Mosque of Salih Tala'i

• Behrens-Abouseif, D. (1989). Islamic architecture in Cairo : an introduction (2nd Impression). E.J. Brill.

• Williams, C. (2001). Islamic Cairo: A Past Imperiled. The Massachusetts Review, 42(4), 591–608. 

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