The Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Cairo

Location:

7.5 miles from downtown.

Who built it?

It was designed by The architect Yousif Boushnaq, a Turkish man who came especially from Istanbul and built this great mosque for Mohamed Ali, the ruler of Egypt (1805-1849) who ruled Over 45 years .During his reign, considerable changes in various aspects of the political, social and economic life occurred. This period is now known as the beginning of the Egyptian renaissance.

Why was it built ?

This mosque was built for praying and for Mohamed Ali to be buried in. Mohamed Ali was buried in the tomb situated on the southern-east side of Beit Al Salah, to the right hand side of the entrance which leads to the main section.

Explanation:

The plan of this mosque was made according to the model of Sultan Ahmed Mosque at Istanbul. The Mohamed Ali Mosque is also called the Alabaster Mosque because of the shining marble which covers its inner and outer walls. The mosque is rectangular in shape and it consists of two sections: The Eastern Section, the main section ( Beit al Salah ) and the Western Section or the courtyard (the Sahn). The Eastern section is the part which is dedicated for the prayer, also it includes the Mohamed Ali's Tomb, while the Western section is a large open courtyard of about 177 feet in length and 173 feet in width.