Which mosque in Cairo has a famous spiral minaret modeled on the Great Mosque of Samarra?

The Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo has a famous spiral minaret modeled on the Great Mosque of Samarra.

Built between 876 and 879, the mosque was commissioned by Ahmad ibn Tulun, founder of the Tulunid dynasty and governor of Egypt. It occupies a large site in the area now known as Cairo’s Citadel district and is organized around a spacious open courtyard. Arcades surround the courtyard on all four sides, creating a calm, monumental interior.

The mosque’s best-known feature is its external spiral minaret. Its form recalls the Malwiya minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, reflecting the architectural connections between Abbasid Iraq and Tulunid Egypt. The minaret has been rebuilt and altered over time, so its present appearance incorporates later work.

The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is one of Cairo’s oldest surviving mosques in substantially preserved form. It is also associated with the Gayer-Anderson Museum, whose historic houses adjoin the mosque’s eastern side.