Masged Gumm'aa Tulun

Masged Gumm'aa Tulun

Ziyaada sabil

When a Muslim performs any of the daily prayers, he does so in the presence of God. The Qur’aan itself directs a Muslim to meet specific standards of cleanliness before beginning saalat, or the act of submission. This is what remains of a stone sabil (“fountain”) for wuduu, the ritual washing of the hands, mouth, nostrils, face, head, forearms, and feet. A freestanding sabil such as this is designed to comfortably accommodate four bathers; one perched at each corner with his feet in water over the ankles.

An aqueduct supplied the palatine gardens with water. Perhaps a Tulunid ruler permitted the masged to tap into it for ablution supply and other domestic uses. If not, the water would have been carried to public or charity cisterns (none such have been here discovered) during the Nile flood. The hauling distance was shortest, then. It could have been purchased from water vendors during the year, too. Islamic standards for water purity, evaporation, and simple demand meant that water-bearers would have frequently refilled the sabil.

The location of the sabil suggests that worshipers were required to remove shoes upon entering the ziyaada. Today, visitors and employees (there are few who worship in the masged now) check footwear before entering the prayer hall.

Sultan Ahmad ibn Tulun

October 2008 al-Qahira Historic Buildings Survey

Brian Carter Broadus LLC

AD876-79

Brian Carter Broadus AIA

Creative Commons 3.0 USA: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works

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