Sultan Al-Muayyad Mosque was buit by the Mamluk sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Sayf Aldin Shaykh, and he buit it on the site of an old jail where he was imprisoned when he was a Mamluk soldier.
Sultan Al-Muayyad Mosque is located near Bab Zuwaila. It is considered one of the most fascinating examples of the Mamluk architecture in Egypt, and because of its site, the mosque and it's minarets became a land mark of Cairo.
The construction of the mosque was started in 1415 and completed in 1421 and it was a challenging task as it required 40,000 dinars. It includes a mosque, Sultan’s mausoleum, in addition to a school that was one of the the most outstanding academic institutions, and moreover burial chamber for Al Muayyad himself. The structure had four front facades and few entrances. The mosque`s main portal is professionally decorated with elegance muqarnas and kufic calligraphic script.
The construction of the mosque was a vow from Sultan Al Muayyad to himself, as he made a promise that if he came to power he would transfer the prison where he was imprisoned into a beautiful place for education.
The ceremony of its opening was unforgettable as Sultan al-Mu'ayyad personally and his Mamluk entourage attended the ceremony and the water basin in the middle of the vast courtyard was filled with liquefied sugar and sweets were offered.