Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo

Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo

Commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha in the 19th century, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in the Citadel of Cairo was built in the memory of his son, Muhammad Ali Jr.

Commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha in the 19th century, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in the Citadel of Cairo was built in the memory of his son, Muhammad Ali Jr. Built in classical Ottoman style, the Alabaster Mosque stands out in the skyline of Cairo, with its 82 metre high twin minarets soaring into the sky.

Laid out on a square plan of 41 metres each side, the mosque has a central dome surrounded by 4 semicircular domes, and 4 domes at the corners. The entrance is marked by a balustrade gallery, to the right of which is the white Carrara marble tomb of Muhammad Ali behind a bronze grill. The grand interiors are a spectacle in gold, red and green, featuring a circle of lights around the chandelier in the middle of the prayer hall. The mosque has 2 minbars (pulpits) – a gilt wooden one which is the largest in Egypt, and a smaller alabaster one. The gold scalloped marble mihrab on the southeastern wall is topped by a semicircular dome that indicates the Qibla.

To the west is the marble courtyard, enclosed by colonnaded galleries with rows of small domes on pillars. It is centered around a Turkish Baroque marble ablution fountain with a carved wooden roof. The northwestern edge has a brass clock tower which was presented to Muhammad Ali by King Louis Philippe of France in 1845.