A tour from the heart of the Ahmad ibn Tulun Mosque, which he built along with a palace, extensive gardens, and an entire city, but of which only the mosque survives. During the tour we will get to know the history of the mosque and its undying legends, from the tale of how the location was chosen, to the steps Ibn Tulun took towards constructing a persevering building. The tour ends focusing on the inspiring stucco work with various patterns and motifs found in the mosque, including the unique Samarra style.

The tour is followed by a gypsum stucco carving workshop during which you will learn about: Traditional and modern techniques for casting, shaping and carving gypsum stucco work. Gypsum sculpting tools and materials. Gypsum mixing and coloring techniques. Casting gypsum molds. Selection and drawing of decorative elements in preparation for their carving. Gypsum sculpting and etching techniques.

Each participant will work on producing a gypsum stucco peice inspired by their visit to the Ibn Tulun Mosque. By the end of the day you will have a personal memento of the visit!

This event is part of the Khalifa Tours program. It is organised by the Built Environment Collective and all revenues go towards supporting the sustainability of the NGO’s educational and community programs in al-Khalifa neighbourhood.