Demerdash Mosque

Demerdash Mosque (مسجد الدمرداش) is a historical mosque built during the Mamluk era in Cairo, Egypt. It is located in the district of Al-Wayli, Abbassia, next to the Demerdash Hospital, part of the Ain Shams University. The mosque is named after Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Al-Amir, known as Shaykh Demerdash, who is buried in the mosque.

History
The mosque was built in the early 16th century during the Mamluk era of Egypt. The original land where the mosque was built on was a gift from Sultan Qaytbay to thank Sidi Demerdash for his service. A mosque was built there for him. When the Ottomans arrived in 1524, Sidi Demerdash died and he was buried in the corner of the mosque.

During the French occupation of Egypt, the Demerdash Mosque and surrounding buildings were plundered by the French troops.

Architecture
The area of the main mosque building is approximately 110 (11 x 10) square metres. The mosque is topped with an onion dome which has sixteen small openings on the bottom, eight of which are open as windows and the other eight are closed as a mere ornamental design. Three large muqarnas stand in each of the four corners of the mosque.

Inside the mosque, the tomb of Sidi Demerdash is located north of the minbar, in a corner of the mosque. His grave is covered by a zarih enclosure made out of lathed wood. In the western side of the mosque there is a tomb dedicated to one of the wives of the Khedive of Egypt, Hassan Effendi. Then in the eastern side, another grave is present, which is that of Sinan Pasha.

Incidents
The Demerdash Mosque became a place where theft was prevalent. Residents also complained that the bathrooms in the mosque were not in a good condition.