Mohamed+Ali+Mosque

Mohamed Ali Mosque

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__History of the Mohamed Ali Mosque and Mohamed Ali Dynasty in Egypt __

The Mohamed Ali Mosque is located within the walls of the Citadel of Salah El-Din and is the most visible and stately mosque in Cairo. The mosque was constructed by Mohamed Ali Pasha, an Albanian officer in the Ottoman army in Egypt. Mohamed Ali Pasha ruled Egypt as Wali or Viceroy, with the consent of the Egyptian people, during the Ottoman Empire from 1805 to 1848 at the time of the last dynasty of the Khedives or Kings. He was able to destroy the Mamluks when in 1811 he invited 470 senior Mamluk dignitaries to a ceremony at the Citadel and had all of them killed thus strengthening his power to rule Egypt.

This was a period of great modernization in Egypt. Mohamed Ali put in place many reforms such as education development including new secular, medical and technical schools; military reforms to enhance the army and keep his control of Egypt; a new extensive irrigation system to support agriculture particularly cotton plantations for export to Europe; and a printing press in 1821 to revive Egyptian intellectual life and literature. He was good to the Egyptian people and allowed Egyptians to hold administrative posts. He also stopped the Ottoman taxation of peasants making him more popular.

Mohammed Ali had the mosque constructed in memory of his oldest son, Tusun Pasha, who died in 1816. The Turkish Architect, Yusuf Bushank, designed the mosque modeling it after the Ottoman Imperial Yeni Mosque in Istanbul. It was built on the site of old Mamluk buildings present in the walls of the Citadel. Mohamed Ali is considered the founder of modern Egypt and is buried at the site of the mosque.

__Artistic Details and Architectural Elements of the Mohamed Ali Mosque__

The Mohamed Ali or Alabaster Mosque construction began in 1830 and finished in 1857. It is known as the Alabaster Mosque due to the prevalence of alabaster from the Egyptian governorate of Beni Suef. The main building material is limestone. The mosque features beautiful and distinctive domes, two large minarets, an ablution fountain, an extensive courtyard, a huge prayer hall, the original wooden and an alabaster Mihrab, and the mausoleum of Mohamed Ali Pasha.

The mosque has a unique style of decoration and can hold about 6500 people. It is the largest mosque built in the first half of the 19th century. The mosque is rectangular and features the Eastern Section consisting of the “Beit al Salah” or House of Prayer and the Western Section with the “Sahn” or Courtyard. The location is extremely strategic in the heart of Islamic Cairo surrounded by other monuments such as the Mosque of El Rifaey, Bab Zuwayla and El-Azhar.

The mosque is distinguished by the central dome and four smaller semicircular domes. The domes are beautifully decorated with medallions in the name of God, the Prophet and the four Caliphs, namely Abou Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali. The central dome is 21 meters in diameter and 52 meters in height. The mosque features two magnificent 82 meter cylindrical minarets of Turkish style with two balconies. The interior of the mosque has an ablution fountain decorated with leaf forms on all sides and paintings on the domed ceiling.

The central courtyard is 54 meters in length and 53 meters in width. The courtyard consists of 47 arched arcades covered by small domes that are made of laced brass and colored glass. Off the courtyard is a huge prayer hall in Ottoman style. The mosque shows a strong European influence in the decorative detail which is typical of Ottoman architecture during this period.

The mausoleum of Mohamed Ali Pasha is at the entrance and is made with Carrara marble inlaid cenotaph and bronze carvings. The marble is covered with floral motifs, and gilded inscriptions. The alabaster Mihrab is a gift to the mosque from Egyptian King Farouk and the gingerbread clock, which it is rumored has never worked properly, is a historic piece from the 19th century that was a gift from King Louis Philippe of France in 1845. In return for the clock, Mohamed Ali Pasha gave France the Obelisk of Luxor that stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The original wooden Mihrab is in tact and is well ornamented. The building showed cracks in the 19th century and the dome was restored.

Today, in addition to being an historic tourist site, the Mohamed Ali Mosque is still used as a place of worship. Because of its religious and historic significance the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt is working to conserve the mosque and protect its beautiful alabaster features. The dome is undergoing restoration and a new lighting system is being installed by an Italian company which when complete will light the entire 1.5 kilometers of the surrounding walls from the road that leads to the Citadel to the famous walls built by Salah El-Din.