The Mosque of Muhammad Ali, often called the Alabaster Mosque, crowns the Citadel of Salah el-Din and is the most recognizable building on the Cairo skyline. Its great dome and two slender minarets, each about 82 meters tall, can be seen from all over the city.
History
It was built between 1830 and 1848 for Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Ottoman governor who founded modern Egypt, and finished after his death. He chose the style of the imperial mosques of Istanbul rather than the local Mamluk style, as a statement of power. He is buried in a marble tomb inside, on the right as you enter.
What to see
The lower walls and pillars are faced with alabaster, which gives the mosque its nickname. Inside, the prayer hall is a vast square under a central dome with hundreds of hanging lamps. In the courtyard stands a clock tower that King Louis-Philippe of France sent in 1845 in exchange for the obelisk of Luxor Temple, now in Paris. The clock, guides like to say, has rarely worked. From the terrace behind the mosque you get one of the best views of Cairo.
Visiting
Take off your shoes at the entrance. Women should cover their shoulders and knees, and scarves are available. The mosque is part of our Islamic Cairo Cairo day tours.
