Cairo, Egypt -- The historic ibn Tulun mosque features an impressive central fountain (sahn) and a spiral minaret that was a late mamluk addition built on top of the original square stone base. The minaret is unique in Egypt and the product of many restorations. We were told the spiral design was modeled from one at the center of historic caliphate fatmid Islam, in Baghdad. (C) Rick Collier / RickCollier.com / thePhotoTourist.com.

I wrote more about this image on my blog, <a target="”_blank”" href="http://www.thePhotoTourist.com" rel="nofollow">the Photo Tourist</a>. (Specific link to this post: <a href="http://www.thephototourist.com/2009/10/spiral-view.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.thephototourist.com/2009/10/spiral-view.html</a>.)

This photo and more are available for display or reuse without watermarks at <a href="http://www.RickCollier.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.RickCollier.com</a>. (This particular image is at <a href="http://www.rickcollier.com/Living/Worship-Religion/4380593_oA45X/1/#422793701_c3Enn-A-LB" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.rickcollier.com/Living/Worship-Religion/4380593_oA45X/1/#422793701_c3Enn-A-LB</a>.)
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Photo is attached to GPSed track <a href="http://gpsed.com/track/7123222215565814239" rel="nofollow">Istanbul Adalar Tour</a>

a man praying in a mosque in Cairo, Egypt

Phoenix

An Iwan of the old Friday Mosque (Masdjed-e Jomeh), at Shiraz, Fars province, Iran, April 2009