The Description
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha is one of the most prominent and famous historical and archaeological landmarks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
It is distinguished by its unique strategic location within the Citadel of Saladin, atop the Mokattam Mountain, making it visible from all parts of the Old City and a focal point for its visitors.
The other names for the mosque:
Al-Marbal Mosque
Al-Alabaster Mosque
Why were they given these names?
Because its interior and exterior walls were clad with a rare and luxurious type of marble known as Al-Marbal or Alabaster, which was specially brought from Mount Sanur in the Beni Suef Governorate in Upper Egypt.
The Founding and Construction
Its construction was ordered by Muhammad Ali Pasha (the founder of modern Egypt).
The History of the Construction of the Muhammad Ali Mosque
When Muhammad Ali ordered the construction of the mosque, he commissioned the Turkish architect Yusuf Bushnaq to design it.
The construction of the mosque began in its current location within the Citadel of Saladin in 1246 AH (1830 CE).
The mosque, whose construction lasted 18 years, was built on the ruins of the Ablaq Palace and covers an area of 5,000 square meters.
Construction continued uninterrupted until the death of Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1265 AH (1849 CE). He was buried in the mausoleum he had prepared for himself within the mosque.
His tomb is located in the southwestern corner of the prayer hall.
The Ottoman Style
The mosque was designed in the style of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul, adopting the classical Turkish style with touches of French European influences in the interior decorations.
The Major landmarks of the Muhammad Ali Mosque
The mosque was built on a rectangular plot of land within the Citadel of Saladin, east of the Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun.
The mosque is divided into two sections
Each section has two opposing entrances.
The Eastern Section (Prayer Hall)
The eastern section of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo is the covered prayer hall and the main sanctuary. This section is distinguished by its unique Ottoman (Byzantine) architectural design, inspired by the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.
The Western Section (Open Courtyard)
The western section (open courtyard) of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo is an almost square courtyard, measuring approximately 53 x 54 meters. It represents an architectural masterpiece that combines Ottoman and Byzantine styles.
The Architectural Design and Dimensions of the Eastern Section
It takes the form of a regular square with an internal side measuring 41 meters.
A massive dome, 21 meters in diameter and 52 meters high, crowns the center.
The dome rests on four large spherical arches supported by four massive, square marble piers.
Four semi-domes surround the central dome, along with a fifth semi-dome covering the mihrab projection, and four smaller domes at the corners.
The Interior Cladding and Decoration
The walls and four piers were clad in Egyptian alabaster to a height of 11 meters.
The domes were decorated internally with gilded and colored reliefs in the Ottoman Baroque style.
The spherical triangles were adorned with the name of God, the phrase "Muhammad is the Messenger of God," and the names of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
The Mihrab (Prayer niche) is located in the center of the qibla wall. It is hollow and entirely covered in fine alabaster marble.
The mosque contains two minbars (pulpits)
1- The original large wooden minbar: This is the original large minbar and is considered one of the tallest minbars in Egypt. It is made of wood decorated with gold and floral motifs.
2- A smaller marble minbar: This was added later as a gift from King Farouk I in 1939. The king felt that the original wooden minbar was too far from the mihrab, so he ordered a new alabaster minbar to be placed next to it, thus giving the mosque two minbars.
The Royal Mausoleum
The mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Pasha is located to the right of the entrance in the southwestern corner of the mosque. It is built of white marble and surrounded by an ornate copper enclosure.
The reason Muhammad Ali Pasha was buried in the Citadel
He chose to be buried in the Citadel of the Mountain, rather than in the "Hosh al-Basha" cemetery, which he himself had established, because he wished to be buried near the shrine of Sayyida Aisha. Before his illness, Muhammad Ali Pasha had instructed his family to care for the shrines of the Prophet's family, especially the Al-Hussein Mosque and the shrines of Sayyida Nafisa and Sayyida Aisha. He requested to be buried in the mosque he had built within the Citadel of Saladin, so that he would be close to them. Indeed, when he died at Ras al-Tin Palace in Alexandria on August 2, 1849 (corresponding to Ramadan 13, 1265 AH), his body was transported to Cairo and buried in the mosque he had commissioned.
The Mosque Acoustics
The interior space was designed to feature a unique echo effect that once occurred within the mosque.
The Lighting
The lighting relies on 365 niches, one for each day of the year.
These niches are suspended and function as glass lanterns hanging from the ceiling. They were specifically designed to provide even illumination throughout the prayer hall.
The Mosque Windows
The mosque contains 261 windows, which help to increase light and ventilation.
The Key Architectural and Aesthetic Elements of the Courtyard (Western Section)
The Four Arcades
Four arcades with arches, supported by marble columns, surround the courtyard.
The Small Domes
These arcades are covered by 84 small domes, intricately carved on the inside and covered with lead sheets on the outside.
The Ablution Fountain
A marble ablution fountain, built in 1844 CE (1263 AH), is located in the center of the courtyard. The Ablution Dome
It rests on eight marble columns and is distinguished by its colorful decorations depicting landscapes and grape clusters, influenced by European and Baroque art.
The Minarets
The mosque features two elegant minarets in the Ottoman style (pencil-shaped), considered among the tallest minarets in Egypt, each reaching a height of 84 meters.
Each minaret boasts two muezzin's platforms and two projecting balconies.
Each minaret includes 256 spiral staircases.
The Story of the Muezzins
Due to the height of the two minarets and the difficulty of climbing them, there were traditionally five muezzins who took turns ascending to the top, each muezzin calling the adhan for only one of the five daily prayers.
The Copper Clock Tower
The tower was erected in 1845 CE from perforated copper, adorned with engravings and colored glass.
The tower houses a striking clock, a gift from King Louis Philippe I of France to Muhammad Ali Pasha
This was in exchange for the famous obelisk of Ramses II, which once stood before the Luxor Temple and was sent by Egypt, now adorning the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
It was intended to be placed in Muhammad Ali's palace in Shubra al-Khaimah, but it ended up in the center of the western portico of the mosque
Attention to the Muhammad Ali Mosque
This mosque received considerable attention from the rulers of the Muhammad Ali Pasha dynasty and their successors. Many Egyptian kings undertook maintenance, improvements, and decoration of this mosque.
They also designated it as a venue for celebrating annual religious occasions, and the order of its builders was as follows:
First: Abbas Hilmi Pasha I
(1848–1854 CE)
Upon the death of King Muhammad Ali in 1849 CE, his grandson Abbas Hilmi I (Abbas Pasha) assumed power and ordered the completion of the mosque's construction. He oversaw the carving of the gates, the marble decorations, and the gilding. He also added the copper enclosure to the mausoleum of his grandfather, Muhammad Ali. Abbas Pasha supervised the installation of the marble and the completion of the mosque's interior decorations. He also appointed reciters and staff for the mosque and designated it as a venue for celebrating annual religious occasions.
Second: Muhammad Said Pasha
(1854-1863)
He approved the allocation of funds and a budget for the maintenance of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel. Furthermore, Said Pasha documented the endowment deed of Muhammad Said Pasha in 1856 to preserve the mosque's rights and properties. He also took great care of Muhammad Ali's tomb, ordering the painting of its copper enclosure within the mosque and making some modifications to the inscriptions and Quranic verses. The decorations were completed during Said Pasha's reign in 1857.
He also designated the mosque for five official annual religious celebrations, including:
Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decre
Isra and Mi'raj (Night Journey and Ascension)
15th of Sha'ban
The anniversary of his father Muhammad Ali's death (13th of Ramadan
The anniversary of his father Muhammad Ali's burial (14th of Ramadan)
Third: Ismail Pasha
(1863-1879)
Ismail Pasha (Khedive Ismail) contributed significantly to the renovation and development of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel. He was the grandson of the mosque's founder. The mosque was furnished with new doors featuring brass hangers and two gilded Qur'ans in the calligraphy of Ibrahim Effendi Rushdi. A prayer niche was also constructed next to the minbar for Sultan Abdul Aziz I to pray in during his visits to Egypt. The mosque was surrounded by walls, and a new ablution area was built.
Fourth: Tawfiq Pasha
(1879-1892)
Khedive Tawfiq Pasha ordered the repair of the marble in the courtyard of the Muhammad Ali Mosque (the outer courtyard surrounding the ablution area). He also ordered the domes to be re-lined with lead to protect them from the elements. Upon assuming the rule of Egypt in 1879, he provided the mosque with valuable, gilded Qur'ans. Interventions during his reign were limited to minor restoration work and periodic maintenance to preserve the splendor of the marble (alabaster) and the interior inscriptions.
Fifth: King Fuad I (1917-1937)
He undertook the largest and most extensive restoration and reconstruction project the mosque had ever witnessed.
Due to an old structural defect, the mosque's large dome and the surrounding semi-domes suffered serious cracks and fissures that threatened the building with collapse.
Consequently, King Fuad I issued a royal decree forming a committee of senior engineers to save this important historical monument.
The process began in 1934 with the complete dismantling and removal of the massive main dome and the smaller domes surrounding it.
The domes were then completely rebuilt, adhering strictly to the original architectural design, geometric dimensions, and ancient Ottoman decorations of the mosque.
The comprehensive restoration project cost approximately 116,000 Egyptian pounds at the time.
King Fuad died in 1936 before the project's completion. His son, King Farouk I, completed the work and officially reopened the mosque five years later, on February 24, 1939.
Sixth: Farouk I
(1937-1952)
King Farouk continued his father's work and adopted the project to restore the domes, which had been ordered by his father, King Fuad I.
The main dome and the surrounding domes were rebuilt according to their original architectural and decorative style with precision.
His reign witnessed a review and renovation of the mosque's interior to ensure the preservation of its unique historical character, such as replacing the original pulpit with a new wooden one.
King Farouk inaugurated the mosque for prayers on Friday, the 5th of Muharram 1358 AH / February 24, 1939, CE.
King Farouk personally led the Friday prayer there to announce the mosque's reopening to worshippers.
The Modern Restoration Projects
(2020-2026)
The mosque recently underwent a major restoration, development, and rehabilitation campaign under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities to restore it to its original splendor.
- The project to repair the historic copper clock tower, a gift from King Louis Philippe of France, has begun, aiming to bring it back into operation after decades of disuse.
- Restoration of the prayer hall and the massive historic chandelier located in its center (measuring 5.5 meters wide and 3 meters high)
- The colorful decorations and inscriptions on the domes, semi-domes, and the mosque's courtyard have undergone meticulous restoration
- Restoration of the wooden canopy of the historic octagonal ablution fountain located in the center of the open courtyard.
- Restoration of the mosque's historic wooden pulpit and maintenance of the silk coverings and textiles adorning the walls and mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Pasha within his tomb in the southwestern corner of the mosque
The glasswork for the lower windows in the courtyard has been completed, and a modern, integrated lighting system has been added to the interior and exterior courtyards to highlight the Ottoman architectural beauty of the mosque at night.
Digital tour inside the Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque / Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities - Don't forget to click on the links on the lef.
