The 6 most beautiful mosques in Cairo you must seeyou
Cairo is a mythical city also called "the city of a thousand minarets". The architecture differs enormously according to the mosques. Some are nearly 1,000 years old while others are extremely modern. Some are architectural treasures.
To help you discover the beauty of Islamic art, architecture and history, I have selected the Egyptian mosques you should visit during your stay in Egypt.
Sultan Hassan Mosque
Located in Cairo and built in 1359, this mosque was once one of the most important monuments in the Islamic world, the madrassa and the mosque of Sultan Hassan housed four different religious schools. Islamic historians have called it a "marvel of construction".
This huge Islamic structure is built in the form of a cruciform (cross-shaped), with an open courtyard surrounded by high stone walls, and is known for its beautiful architecture. There is also a mausoleum where the Sultan is believed to be buried.
La Mosquée Al Azhar
Built in 970, the Al Azhar Mosque is known as one of the most essential Islamic places. The mosque and its Islamic teaching university were founded more than 1,000 years ago by the Fatimids, who built the city of Cairo. Al Azhar University is today the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt.
The mosque is famous for its white marble courtyard and its five minarets, which were built in 1340, 1469 and 1510
The Ibn Tulun Mosque
Built in 884, the Ibn Tulun Mosque is not only the oldest mosque in Cairo, but also the largest. It also has one of the few minarets in the world where the staircase is outside and offers a breathtaking view of the city.
The mosque was built by Ahmed Ibn Tulun, an Abbasid governor in Egypt, and is said to have been inspired by his native Iraq. Some historians argue that the Ibn Tulun Mosque has the world's first pointed arch, some 200 years before Europe began to incorporate Gothic arches into its architecture.
La Mosquée Al Zaher Barquq
Founded between 1384 and 1386, the Mosque-Madrassa of Al Zaher Barquq and also known as the Mosque of Sultan Barqu. It is a medieval religious complex in the Moez Street area of Old Cairo, next to Khan el Khalili. It is composed of a mosque, a madrassa, a mausoleum and a khanqah (a building for the Sufi spiritual retreat).
It was the first monument built during the Circassian dynasty of Mamluk rule in Egypt; Al Zaher Barquq was the first Circassian sultan of Egypt.
La Mosquée Mohamed Ali
Founded between 1830 and 1848, the Mohammed Ali Mosque is located inside the citadel of Cairo. It was commanded by Mohammed Ali Pasha, an Ottoman Albanian military commander who became Khedive of Egypt.
The design of the mosque was inspired by the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, and there is a brass clock tower which was a gift to Mohammed Ali from King Louis Philippe of France in 1845. Mohammed Ali gave him in return the obelisk of Luxor which stands until today on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
La Mosquée Al Rifai
Built between 1869 and 1912, the Al Rifai Mosque is located in Cairo, right next to the Sultan Hassan Mosque, separated by only a small pedestrian lane.
It is because of his huge neighbor that Al Rifai makes his height; the architects did not want Sultan Hassan to overshadow it. It was commissioned by Khoshiar Hanem, the mother of Khedive Ismail, to house the tombs of the royal family and be a place of worship.
