Item code: 130/EG-4
Year
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2013
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Obverse
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Rifa’i Mosque in Cairo
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Reverse
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Statue of Pharaoh Chefren
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Watermark
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The statue and mask of Pharaoh King
Tutankhamun
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Size
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151x 70 mm
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Obverse description:
Al-Rifa'i
Mosque
Al-Rifa'i Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الرفاعى, transliterated also as Al-Rifai, Al-Refai, Al-Refa'i, and named in English the Royal Mosque), is located in Cairo, Egypt, in Midan al-Qal'a, adjacent to the Cairo Citadel. The building is located opposite the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, which dates from around 1361, and was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older structure. This was part of a vast campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city. The mosque was constructed next to two large public squares and off of several European style boulevards constructed around the same time.
The Al-Rifa'i Mosque was constructed in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912 when it was finally completed. It was originally commissioned by Khushyar Hanim, the mother of the 19th century Khedive Isma'il Pasha to expand and replace the preexisting zawiya (shrine) of the medieval Islamic saint Ahmed al-Rifa'i. The zawiya was a pilgrimage site for locals who believed that the tomb had mystical healing properties. Khushayer envisioned a dual purpose for the new structure as a house for sufi relics and a mausoleum for the royal family of Egypt. Over the course of its construction the architect, design, and purpose were changed.
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The original
architect was Hussein Fahri Pasha, a distant cousin in the dynasty founded by Muhammad Ali of Egypt in 1803. He died during the first phase of construction, and work was
halted after Khedive Isma'il Pasha abdicated
in 1880. Khushayar Hanim herself died in 1885, and work was not resumed until
1905 when the Khedive, Abbas II of Egypt, ordered its completion. Work was
supervised by the Hungarian architect Max Herz, head of the Committee for the Conservation of Arab
Monuments in Cairo.
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The building itself
is a melange of styles taken primarily from the Mamluk period of Egyptian history, including its dome and minaret. The building contains a large prayer
hall as well as the shrines of al-Rifa'i and two other local saints, Ali Abi-Shubbak and Yahya
al-Ansari.
The mosque is the resting place of Khushyar Hanim and her son Isma'il Pasha, as well as numerous other members of Egypt's royal family, including King Farouk, Egypt's last reigning king, whose body was interred here after his death in Rome in 1965. The mosque served briefly as the resting place of Reza Shah of Iran, who died in exile in the Union of South Africa in 1944, and was returned to Iran after World War II. He was buried in Cairo following the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Part of the burial chamber is currently occupied by Reza Shah's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who died in Cairo in July 1980.
Reverse description
Khafra (Chephren)
Khafra (also read as Khafre, Khefren and Chephren) was an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of 4th dynasty during the Old Kingdom. He was the son of Khufu and the throne successor of Djedefre. According to the ancient historianManetho Khafra was followed by king Bikheris, but according to archaeological evidences he was rather followed by king Menkaure. Khafra was the builder of the second largest pyramid of Giza. The view held by modern Egyptology at large remains that the Great Sphinx was built in approximately 2500 BC for Khafra. There is not much known about Khafra, except the historical reports of Herodotus, who describes him as a cruel and heretic ruler, who kept the Egyptian temples closed after Khufu had sealed them.
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Khafra
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Reign
There is no agreement on the date of his reign. Some authors say it was between 2558 BC and 2532 BC; this dynasty is commonly dated ca. 2650 BC–2480 BC. While the Turin King List length for his reign is blank, and Manetho exaggerates his reign as 66 years, most scholars believe it was between 24 and 26 years, based upon the date of the Will of Prince Nekure which was carved on the walls of this Prince's mastaba tomb. The will is dated anonymously to the Year of the 12th Count and is assumed to belong to Khufu since Nekure was his son. Khafra's highest year date is the "Year of the 13th occurrence" which is a painted date on the back of a casing stone belonging to mastaba G 7650. This would imply a reign of 24–25 years for this king if the cattle count was biannual during the Fourth Dynasty.
Pyramid
complex
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Khafra built the second largest pyramid at Giza. The Egyptian name of the pyramid was Wer(en)-Khafre which means "Khafre is Great". The pyramid has a subsidiary pyramid, labeled GII a. It is not clear who was buried there. Sealings have been found of a King's eldest son of his body etc. and the Horus name of Khafre.
Valley Temple
The
valley temple of Khafre was located closer
to the Nile and would have stood right next to
the Sphinx temple. Inscriptions from the
entrance way have been found which mention Hathor and Bubastis. Blocks have
been found showing the partial remains of an inscription with the Horus name of
Khafre (Weser-ib). Mariette discovered
statues of Khafre in 1860. Several were
found in a well in the floor and were headless. But other complete statues were
found as well.
Mortuary Temple
The
mortuary temple was located very close to the pyramid. From the mortuary temple
come fragments of maceheads inscribed with Khafre's name as well as some stone
vessels.
Great Sphinx and Sphinx temple
The
sphinx is said to date to the time of Khafra.
This is supported by the proximity of the sphinx to Khafra's
pyramid temple complex, and a certain resemblance (despite damage) to the
facial structure seen in his statues. The Great Sphinx of Giza may have been
carved out as a guardian of Khafra's
pyramid, and as a symbol of royal power. It became deified during the time of
the New Kingdom.
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