Rural village mosque. Rabaswan, Egypt

"Due to a shared cultural background, common social and economic conditions and inherited building materials and techniques, slight variations distinguish the character of the majority of villages in the various regions of Egypt (Nubian villages in the south are an exception). The main vernacular types of building found in rural areas are houses of prayer, cemeteries and dwellings. Houses of prayer are generally located either on the main road of the village or in its central open space (saha). They range in scale from a single, small, unornamented cell with a flat roof and mud-brick walls (zawia) to a much more elaborate and ornamented building with a dome and a minaret (mosque)." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. North Africa and Maghreb. Cambridge University Press]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.