WATANI International
Specialists and locals
“The mosque has been expertly restored by professional restorers and technicians working with a team of engineers and specialists.” Abdel-Khaleq Mukhtar, General Manager of South Cairo monuments, said. “The work was carried out with the help of local workmen who had received training in similar projects under the supervision of the Aga Khan Foundation.”
Restoration included replacing broken stone blocks in the walls and injecting the facades of the main gallery, removing the cement layer from the floor and rehabilitating the marble panels.
The mosque consists of four iwans (is a Persian word defined as a vaulted hall or space, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open).
“The walls and the ceiling of the western iwan were cleaned and the delicate woodwork restored,” Mr Mukhtar said. In some areas, traces of blue pigment were found under the red paint, suggesting that this was the original colour of the walls. The red paint was carefully removed and the circular ornaments of the western iwan were gently cleaned. All the stone walls were carefully cleaned and electrical wiring was inserted.
The intricate ornamental wooden ceiling of the eastern iwan was also cleaned, fallen parts were refixed and any holes filled.