Muhammad Ali Mosque, Ottoman mosque in Cairo, Egypt
The Muhammad Ali Mosque is an Ottoman place of worship perched on the citadel of Cairo, visible across much of the city below. Two minarets with pointed conical tips rise into the sky, while a central dome sits surrounded by four smaller half domes.
Muhammad Ali Pasha, founder of modern Egypt, ordered construction to begin in 1830, seeking to create a monument modeled after the grand Ottoman mosques of Istanbul. The building work ended in 1848, while interior decoration continued under his successor Abbas Pasha.
The name honors Muhammad Ali Pasha, whose tomb sits inside the building and visitors can walk around it during their tour. The smooth white alabaster catches daylight and makes the outer walls glow against the darker limestone of the citadel walls.
The location at the highest point of the citadel means visitors must climb stairs and walk through the fortress grounds before reaching the interior. Open daily, the building hosts worshippers during the five daily prayer times, and tourists should be respectful during these moments.
A clock tower next to the main entrance houses a timepiece that King Louis Philippe of France gave Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1845. In return, France received the Luxor obelisk that now stands in Place de la Concorde in Paris.
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