The masjid of Imam Al-Husayn was built in 549 A.H. (1154/55 A.D.) in honour of the beloved grandson of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) - Imam Al-Husayn - a person wellknown for his generosity and courage.
It was also built to receive the supposed head of Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (radiAllahu anhu), when he was martyred.
The mosque was built on the site of the Eastern Palace of Fatimids in Cairo, Egypt. Because the Fatimids were Shi'i Muslims, they secured a head which they said was that of the martyred Imam al-Husayn, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)'s beloved grandson, brought to Cairo in 1153 and a subsequent shrine built for it on the site of the mosque. The shrine (purportedly) containing al-Husayn's head was later incorporated into the modern mosque. All that remains of the Fatimid structure (and even this is doubtful) is the lower part of the entrance gateway at the south corner of the present mosque -- known as al-Baab al-Akhdar, which stands in the east part of the south façade of the mosque.
A minaret with wonderfully carved arabesque panels in stucco, added in the last days of the Ayyubids era in 634 A.H. (1237), according to the foundation inscription at its base. It rises above the remains of the Fatimid gateway; the additional Turkish-style minarets are part of Khedive Ismai'l's mosque.
The masjid has undergone a number of restorations and extentions over the years. The Amir 'Abd al- Rahman Katkhuda restored the upper part os this minaret, as well as the masajid and the dome of the mausoleum in 1175 A.H. (1761/62 A.D.).
The interior of the dome was decorated and gilded, while the mihrab was given a coloured marble dado.
When the Khedive Isma'il came into power in 1279 A.H. (1863 A.D.), he ordered its restoration and extension.
Work was begun in 1280 A.H. (1864 A.D.) and completed in 1290 A.H. (1873 A.D.). The new minaret, however, was only completed in 1295 A.H. (1878 A.D.).
The mosque consists of five arcades, supported by 45 marble columns, fortifying the large wooden ceilings. The mihrab, which was constructed in 1303 A.H. (1886 A.D.) , is in polychrome marble mosaic, instead of marble. At the side of the mihrab is a wooden minbar, next to which are two doorways leading to the mausoleum, also a third leading to a chamber that was built in 1311 A.H. (1893 A.D.), which holds some relics of the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), such as a chest that belonged to him.
The masjid also holds a copy of the Qur'an written by Uthman ibn Affan, as well as Ali ibn Abu Talib (radiAllahu anhum). The Qur'anic manuscript written in large Arabic script, is perhaps the oldest of all the manuscripts, and is considered to be either Uthmanic, or a complete copy from the original, with similarities to the Madinan script.
The mosque is built in stone, in Gothic style. The minaret which stands at the south west corner is in Ottoman style, i.e. a cylindrical shaft of two stories, ending in a cone.
The mosque has three entrances in the west façade, one in the south, and another in the north, all leading into a sahn with a place for ablution. The cenotaph said to be of Imam Al-Husyan was found in a room under the floor of the mausoleum. It was reached through two small opening in the floor.
It was first observed and mentioned by the late as-Saiyid Mahmud al-Biblawi, Shaykh of the mosque, who commented on it in his book 'at-Ta'rikh al- Husayni', in 1321 A.H. (1903 A.D.).
No archeologists had seen or examined this cenotaph until 1939, when H.M. King Farouq ordered the restoration of the floor of the mausolum, and the paving of it with marble. This provided an opportunity for the Department for the Preservation of Arab Monuments to make certain that the cenotaph was there.
When found and examined, it proved to be a marvellous work of art, worthy of restoration and preservation. The Department took it away, repaired it and removed it to the Museum of Arab Art, where it has taken its proper place among the exhibits. The cenotaph has three sides. It is made of teak, imported from the East Indies. Its face and two sides are divided into rectangles, surrounded and separated from each other by borders, carved with inscriptions in decorated Kufic and Naskhi. These rectangles are decorated with delicate floral ornaments of various kinds.
Some of these panels are surrounded with bands of inscriptions such as, "May God send victory and speedy success" and "May God rule", etc. All the inscriptions which are carved on the sides of this cenotaph are verses from the Qur'an. They do not include any statement as to the date of its construcion or the name of the personage who ordered it.
The character of the ornament and its style, the technique of the inscriptions, the combination of Kufic and Naskhi, together with its similarity to the cenotaph of the Imam ash-Shafi', which was constructed in 574 A.H. (1178 A.D.), all this indicates that it was constructed in the Aiyubid period. It is probable that Sultan Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi was the one who ordered it. Today three high-tech umbrellas open in front of the mosque to shade the overflow congregation on Fridays. They are similar to courtyard umbrella-columns in the Great Mosque at Medina. The mosque is a major center for congregational prayers in Cairo today, and on Fridays at noon the sidewalks and maydan are covered with mats and rugs laid down by the overflowing congregation.
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