Shafaqna English- Al-Ahram wrote: The Egyptians have given many titles to Seyyedah Zaynab (SA), including: Head of the Diwan, Mother of the Helpless, Umm Hashim, and other titles that reflect the Egyptians’ love for the family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
According to Shafaqna, Egyptians from all regions, villages, and governorates come to her shrine, and every year, they celebrate her birth in the Month of Rajab. Below, we discuss the legacies of this revered Lady in Egypt:
Seyyedah Zaynab Neighborhood
The Seyyedah Zaynab neighborhood houses more than 40 historical Islamic and Coptic sites, the most famous being the shrine and Mosque of Seyyedah Zaynab (SA). Egyptians consider her to be the helper and refuge for the weak against all oppression and injustice.
“It is well-known that Seyyedah Zaynab (SA) witnessed the tragedy of Karbala with her brother Imam Hussain (AS) and his martyrdom in the year 61 AH. She became a model of a patient and devout lady whose composure was never shaken by this calamity.”
History of the Mosque of Seyyedah Zaynab (SA) in Cairo
The Zaynabi Shrine has been reconstructed and expanded several times throughout the centuries. Egyptian rulers have paid attention to it. Sultan Al-Adil Sayyid-al-Din Abu Bakr bin Ayyub rebuilt it in the 6th century AH, and Sharif Fakhr al-Din Thalab Al-Jafari renovated it. The Mosque remained in this state until the Ottoman era. In 956 AH, Ottoman Minister Ali Pasha rebuilt it and connected it to his own mosque. Amir Abdulrahman Katkhuda renewed it in 1174 AH, adding a well and a wash basin.
The Egyptian Ministry of Endowments built the current mosque in 1940 and expanded it in 1969, adding an area equal to the original size. This extension makes it appear as a separate mosque, so a new mihrab (prayer niche) was constructed while the original mihrab was preserved. The Seyyedah Zaynab Mosque was recently re-opened and restored in an official and popular ceremony.
Historian Omar Muhammad Al-Sharif explained to Al-Ahram that the Seyyedah Zaynab neighborhood was formerly known as “Qanater Al-Saba” (The Lion’s Bridges) because Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars built bridges in that location to channel water to the castle, which was the seat of the Egyptian government at the time. These bridges, built over a small branch of the Nile, were decorated with stone lion statues, as Sultan Baybars chose the lion as his emblem.
These bridges were also referred to as Qanater Zahiriyya, named after Sultan Baybars. This name was used during the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, and the bridges remained intact until the late 19th century. Ali Pasha Mubarak mentions them in his book Al-Khatat al-Tawfiqiyya. The bridges disappeared under the Seyyedah Zaynab Square, and the area wasn’t known as Seyyedah Zaynab until the late 19th century.
The neighborhood was named after the Mosque and tomb of Seyyedazh Zaynab (SA), daughter of Ali bin Abi Talib (AS) and Lady Fatimah Zahra (SA), daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Seyyedah Zaynab (SA) was born in the 6th year AH.
Seyyedah Zaynab’s (SA) Prayer for Egypt and Its People
According to historical accounts, “Seyyedah Zaynab (SA) traveled to Egypt in 61 AH, and Muslima bin Mukhlad Al-Ansari, the Governor of Egypt, along with other notable figures, went to welcome her. She passed away on the 14th of Rajab in 62 AH.”
Seyyedah Zaynab (SA) prayed for Egypt and its people, showing affection for them. It is narrated that when she arrived in Egypt, the governor, with a group of prominent figures and the people of Egypt, welcomed her and she stayed in the governor’s house. She prayed for the people of Egypt, saying: “O’ people of Egypt, you helped us, may Allah (SWT) help you; you sheltered us, may Allah (SWT) shelter you; you assisted us, may Allah (SWT) assist you; may Allah (SWT) grant you relief from all hardship and freedom from every sorrow.”
Famous Sites in the Sayyida Zaynab Neighborhood
Among the most famous sites in this neighborhood is the Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun, which was completed by Ahmad Ibn Tulun, founder of the Tulunid dynasty, in 265 AH. Behind the mosque is the Al-Karitliya house, which has now been turned into a museum.
The famous Darb-al-Jama’iz, one of the well-known streets in the Seyyedah Zaynab neighborhood near the Seyyedah Zaynab Mosque, is where Amir Yusuf Kamal, one of the founders of the literary and artistic Renaissance in Egypt, laid the foundation stone for the School of Fine Arts. Many graduates of this school, including the prominent sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar, were educated here. In the 1920s, the school moved from Darb-al-Jama’iz to Al-Darb-al-Jadid in Seyyedah Zaynab Square.
The Al-Atriss and Al-Eidros domes stand opposite the facade of the Seyyedah Zaynab Mosque. They have recently become part of Islamic, Arab, Coptic, and Jewish landmarks. Sheikh Al-Atriss lived in the 7th century AH, while the second dome belonged to Sheikh Al-Eidros, who lived in the 12th century AH.
