The Dome and Mausoleum of Shaykh al-Islam al-Hafiz Abu al-Fadl Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Cairo Egypt

In July 2024 (Dhu al-Ḥijjah 1445), Cairo witnessed the unveiling of a monumental tribute to one of Islam’s greatest scholars. The Dome and Mausoleum of Shaykh al-Islām al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Faḍl Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī is an architectural and spiritual achievement, led by the Inarat Foundation for Revival and Renewal in collaboration with The Classical Institute UK, under the guidance of Dr Badreldeen Ismail al-Ḥusayni. It honours the enduring legacy of a figure whose scholarship shaped centuries.

Inspired by the elegance of the Mamluk era, the very world Ibn Hajar inhabited, the design weaves together history, precision, and devotion. Ornate domes, monumental arches, and finely detailed miḥrābs evoke a classical splendour reimagined through a modern lens. This is architecture as homage, to knowledge, to tradition, to a civilisation rooted in refinement.

More than a mausoleum, the site is a sanctuary of learning. Scholars and students from across the world are drawn here to reflect, remember, and renew their connection to Islamic heritage. From the intricate calligraphy on the dome to the quiet dignity of the prayer niche, every detail speaks, of reverence, of art, and of a shared intellectual past.

The inauguration was marked by the presence of the esteemed Dr Shaykh Ḥasan al-Shafiʿī, the beloved teacher of Dr Badreldeen and a towering figure in Islamic philosophy. His presence honoured the spirit of the project, rooted in tradition, reaching forward.

In a time of rapid change, this project stands as a reminder that to build forward, we must first remember, and beautifully so.