A solitary person walks through the expansive open courtyard of Ibn Tulun Mosque in the Sayyida Zeinab district of Cairo, one of the oldest and best-preserved mosques in Egypt, built between 876 and 879 CE during the Abbasid period. The central domed structure (Al-Mida'a, the ablution fountain) and the continuous arcaded porticos (riwaq) with their pointed arches are clearly visible in this black and white composition. Ibn Tulun Mosque is the largest mosque in Cairo by land area and a major historical and architectural landmark, renowned for its Samarra-influenced spiral minaret and massive brick construction.