Mashhad al-Tabataba
Historic shrine in Cairo, Egypt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mashhad al-Tabataba (Arabic: مشهد آل طباطبا) also known as the Mashhad al-Sharif al-Tabataba[1] is a 10th-century mausoleum located in Cairo, Egypt.[2] It was formerly located on the banks of the Ain el-Sira River, until it was relocated to the territory of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization as part of a restoration attempt.[3][4] It is the last surviving monument from the Ikhshidid period.[5]
| Mashhad al-Tabataba | |
|---|---|
Arabic: مشهد آل طباطبا | |
The mausoleum before its relocation to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization | |
  Location in Egypt | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Status | Currently a part of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization |
| Location | |
| Location | Cairo, Egypt |
| Coordinates | 30.0098442°N 31.2491908°E |
| Architecture | |
| Established | 10th century |
| Dome | 3 (formerly 9) |
History
The mausoleum was constructed in the 10th century during the rule of the Ikhshidids. It was built by Muhammad ibn Tughj al-Ikhshid over the grave of Sharif Tabataba al-Asghar after his death in the year 945.[3] Later on, other members of his family were buried there. However, the entombed personage is also attributed to Ibrahim Tabataba'i, a Qurayshi scholar who descended from Ali ibn Abi Talib and was a companion of Ja'far al-Sadiq.[6] He was murdered in the year 806, however he is not buried there, but rather his descendants are.[7][8]
In 2022, the Mashhad al-Tabataba building was relocated to the territory of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization after the waters of the Ain el-Sira lake threatened to cause further damage to the already partially submerged structure.[3][4] The water levels had already reached 2.70 metres high, and this posed a danger towards the mausoleum, threatening it with collapse.[4] Hence, the Mashhad al-Tabataba was carefully dismantled, and it was rebuilt at the desired location.[3][4] The relocation and restoration project started in 2021, and was finally completed in 2022.[3][4] Several ancient tombstones were found during the process of disassembling the structure.[4][3]
Architecture
The mausoleum has an area of 600 square metres. The mausoleum is located on the northeastern side. To the left of it is a well for ablutions, located inside a domed building constructed in the late 19th century.[1][7] Inside the mausoleum, there are six rooms, each containing a tomb of a member of the Tabataba family.[7] On the western side of the interior is the door to a small prayer hall. The prayer hall is square and each side is 18 metres long.[9] It is divided into three sections by two rows of perpendicularly attached pillars.[9] Nine domes were used to top the structure, but there are only three remaining.[8]
