Lighting in Design Q1 2020

Lighting retrofit at historic Cairo mosque

Retrofit and restoration work on the ancient Al Azhar Mosque, while retaining its grandeur, was a complex task.

F ounded in 970 AD as the centrepiece of the Fatimid Dynasty of Tunisia when it conquered Egypt, the Al Azhar Mosque is a centre of Islamic learning and teaching, and today is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, the Al Azhar University. Its head, referred to as the Grand Mufti or Grand Imam, is considered to be the highest theological au- thority for Muslims. At present, the university is the most prestigious location for Islamic stud- ies worldwide, particularly Sunni theology and Sharia law. The mosque – located in El Hussein Square in Cairo – is a harmonious blend of different ar- chitectural styles, the result of over a thousand years of modifications.While the building has been

architecturally remodelled and added to over the years, parts of the original structure are still intact. The mosque has five entrances, and five ancient minarets grace its construction with various cas- cading columns and balconies interloping on the building’s sides. The challenge The recent development is one of the largest and most extensive restoration works to the Al Azhar Mosque over its history of over a thousand years. It was carried out over three years under the patronage of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Ab- dulaziz and included the complete transformation and modernisation of the mosque’s infrastructure, including flooring, lighting, water, drainage, venti-

12

LiD Q1 - 2020