Top 10 Mosques in Cairo

Our Local Expert Says:

Ibn Tulun Mosque is the most interesting mosque in Cairo, with stunning architecture and a serene atmosphere.

Description:

This beautiful mosque is considered to be the oldest in Cairo that has survived in its original form, and is the third largest in the world by area. Completed in 879 AD, Ibn Tulun Mosque was built by Ahmed ibn Tulun, founder of the Talunid dynasty that was ruling Egypt at the end of the 9th Century.

The mosque consists of a huge open courtyard, including fountain, and is surrounded on three sides by enclosed wings known as ziyadas. The art and architecture of Ibn Tulun Mosque has a distinct Iraqi flavour (Ahmed Ibn Tulun was born in Baghdad) – make sure you check out the crenulated tops of the walls, which look like the paper-chain dolls that children cut out.

Interestingly, a local legend claims the mosque was built on the hill where Noah's Ark landed after the flood, and that the floral frieze that runs around the arches was originally carved on to the ark. Finally, a trip to Ibn Tulun Mosque is not complete without climbing its minaret. With the staircase spiralling up the outside of the tower, the minaret is unique in Cairo, and offers fantastic views of the city.

Ibn Tulun Mosque is next to the Gayer-Anderson Museum, and a short hop from the Citadel and the other sites of Islamic Cairo. The best way to visit is by taxi.

Our Local Expert Says:

Simultaneously imposing and austere, yet elegant

Description:

The Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrassa, built over the latter half of the 14th Century, is one of the largest and most imposing mosques in Cairo. It costs 25 LE to enter, and initially feels like walking in to a castle, through a huge entrance decorated in red, white and blue. You emerge from a dim vestibule into an immense open courtyard, with red, blue and cream marble floor slabs arranged into geometric patterns. There is a huge central fountain, complete with domed roof, and four giant, vaulted niches known as liwans, complete with hanging lamps on incredibly long chains. Each liwan was used to teach one of the four versions of Sunni Islamic law, and were linked with madrassas. The mihrab in the Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrassa is a work of art: as immense as the rest of the mosque, but decorated with fine gold calligraphy and pieces of blue, white, orange and yellow marble fitted together in a jigsaw-type pattern. The whole effect is set off by elegant grey marble columns. Behind the main mihrab of the Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrassa is a dimly lit room housing the mausoleum of Sultan Hassan: a surprisingly restrained marble tomb, set in a room with a huge domed ceiling of gilded woodwork, that looks a little like melting chocolate. The walls here are also comprised of coloured marble, arranged in to rectangular patterns.

Our Local Expert Says:

The al-Refa’i Mosque is certainly not simple or understated. In fact, it is possibly the most resplendent of all Cairo mosques, and for this reason if no other is a must-see!

Description:

Al-Refa'i Mosque, opposite Sultan Hassan Mosque, is one of the most spectacular Cairo mosques, and well worth the 25 LE entrance fee. It was completed in the early 20th Century for the mother of Khedive Ismail, and is built in a mock Mamluk style. Al-Refa'i Mosque is absolutely stunning inside: not only is it incredibly ornate, it is in very good condition. The floors and walls are covered in bright marble in differing colours and patterns, and ample gold leaf garnishes everything. The high ceilings are dark wood embossed with mother of pearl, looking similar in design to the boxes sold in Khan al-Khalili! Beautiful wooden Arabesque doors, incense, stained glass, chandeliers – you name it, and it graces the al-Refa'i Mosque. The mosque also houses ornate marble tombs of various luminaries: including King Fouad and his mother, King Farouk, Khedive Ismail and his harem, and even the last shah of Iran. The tomb of Sheikh Ali al-Rifa'i, founder of the Rifa'i sect of Sufis, is also housed in the al-Refa'i Mosque: a grey marble tomb housed behind an ornate mashrabia screen, the tomb is decked with plastic flowers and softly lit by other-worldly green lighting. The overall effect manages to be both solemn and slightly tacky at the same time. Because al-Refa'i Mosque is so large, and with so much to explore and marvel at, you should try to allow an hour or so to visit it.

Our Local Expert Says:

It is well worth popping in to Al Azhar Mosque. Don’t be intimidated by the religious and scholastic air, people are more than happy to accommodate tourists.

Description:

Al Azhar Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in Egypt, if not the whole world. It was established in 972 AD, the first Fatimid monument built in Cairo. Its name means "the most blooming", after one of the prophet Mohammed's daughters.

Al Azhar Mosque has been renovated and extended over the years, and it reflects a number of architectural styles. The large main courtyard is a particular highlight: 275 by 112 feet, made of glistening white marble, and home to hundreds of ancient columns. The five minarets are particularly elegant, and can be seen from much of Cairo. It is possible to climb some of the towers, though they are often locked and you should remember to give the porter a little something for his trouble.

Al Azhar Mosque is also arguably the most significant in the whole of the Sunni Muslim world: it is home to the second oldest University in the world, established in 975 AD, which specialises in all forms of Islamic studies. The scholars of the university are very well respected, and are often called upon to issue fatwas, or religious rulings.

Al Azhar Mosque is situated in the heart of Islamic Cairo, opposite Midan al-Hussein and Khan al-Khalili bazaar. It is best visited by taxi, though you could also walk up from Ataba Metro station.

Description:

The oldest mosque in Africa, prayers are still held in this large mosque dating back to 641 CE. Muslim leader Amr Ibn el-Aas is said to have ordered its construction upon receiving a sign from God in the form of a dove nesting in his tent. When the doves brood was raised, the mosque was built on the site. It has been altered throughout the centuries and incorporates many different styles. No two of its 150 columns are identical.

Description:

The Mohammed Ali Mosque was built over a period of about 20 years in the early part of the 19th Century, and was completed in 1848, though its domes had to be entirely rebuilt during the 1930's. Also known as the Alabaster Mosque, the Mohammed Ali Mosque was built in the classical Ottoman style, and its huge domes and soaring minarets are the most famous landmark of Cairo's skyline. It is not, however, particularly graceful from up close, and it has received a lot of criticism. It has even been likened to a fat cat and a huge toad! The interior of the Mohammed Ali Mosque is grand, bordering on garish: great chandeliers illuminate the huge, domed space, and cast light on the technicolour marble walls. There is colourful, gilded wood and gold in abundance. No matter what you think of its artistic, the Mosque of Mohammed Ali is undeniably spectacular! The great man himself is buried in an ornate, white marble tomb to the right of the entrance. The courtyard of the Mohammed Ali Mosque is also interesting: there is an elaborately decorated marble fountain with carved wooden roof in the centre of the huge, square courtyard. At the west of the courtyard is a large iron clock that was given to Mohammed Ali by King Louis-Philippe of France, as a thankyou for the ancient Egyptian obelisk that stands in Place de la Concorde in Paris. The clock has never worked!

Description:

The Suleiman Pasha Mosque, built in 1528, was the first mosque built in Cairo by Egypt's new rulers, the Ottomans. Suleiman Pasha was a court eunuch who rose to power and eventually became the governor of the Janissary military corps, garrisoned in the Citadel. The mosque that bears his name was built on the site of this garrison, in the northern enclosure of the Citadel.

The Suleiman Pasha Mosque looks very plain from the outside, with a squat dome and a tall, simple minaret. Inside, however, it's gorgeous – a wonderful mixture of restraint and decoration. Gilt arabesque and carved marble are beautifully offset by a fine inscription around the dome-roofed prayer hall. This intricate calligraphy from the Koran is broken up by colourful medallions containing the names of God and prominent Sunni Muslim Caliphs, all penned by the finest calligraphers of the age.

Strangely, the current entrance to the Suleiman Pasha Mosque brings you straight in to the prayer hall, so you have to go out of another door to reach the paved marble courtyard. At the west end of the courtyard is an enclosure containing a Fatimid era shrine dedicated to one of the Prophet Mohammed's companions. Within the shrine are the ornate marble tombs of various Ottoman officials.

The Suleiman Pasha Mosque is well worth the visit, as it is possibly the prettiest of all the mosques in the Citadel.

Our Local Expert Says:

Arguably the holiest mosque in Egypt

Description:

Al-Hussein Mosque is one of the most beautiful Cairo mosques. Situated in Midan al-Hussein, next to Khan al-Khalili, al-Hussein Mosque is named after the Prophet's grandson, who was killed by the Umayyads in Iraq in 680 AD during a battle over the succession of the Caliphate. It was this conflict that caused the schism in Islam that gave rise to the two main subdivisions of Sunni and Shia: with the Sunnis recognising the legitimacy of the Umayyad claim, and the Shi'ites maintaining that only a blood relative of Mohammed could be the Caliph. Hussein is revered as a martyr in the Shi'ite world, and although Egypt is predominantly Sunni Muslim, Hussein is still regarded as a saint here too. His head is buried inside al-Hussein Mosque. Technically, the mosque is closed to non-Muslims, though the caretakers will sometimes let you in if you appear respectful enough. Al-Hussein Mosque is elegant and restrained: a huge prayer hall with hundreds of light grey marble pillars, tasteful hanging lamps and chandeliers, and high vaulted ceilings. The mihrab is gorgeous: white, blue, grey and black marble arranged in to traditional geometric designs. The shrine to Hussein is a huge engraved silver affair surrounded by shining white marble, and offset by soft, almost otherworldly green lighting. You will often see pilgrims from all around the Muslim world at Hussein's shrine, walking slowly around it, chanting.

Description:

Al-Hakim Mosque was built in the 11th Century by al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, one of Egypt's most insane, and sadistic rulers. He persecuted Christians, Jews, merchants and women, banned or destroyed everything that annoyed him (including all the city's dogs), and would stand on the heads of his enemies whilst one of his slaves sodomised them. He even had a group of women boiled alive in public. It's ironic, therefore, that the mosque which bears his name is so beautiful! Joining the northern walls, al-Hakim Mosque looks quite plain and solid from the outside, with square towers and an odd style of minaret. There is some delicate Arabic stone filigree work on the arches outside. Inside, however, is a huge open courtyard of blinding white/cream marble, with a deep red marble fountain with white veins running through it. It's simple, but actually quite moving. The main prayer hall still has some original wooden beams, but much of the rest of al-Hakim Mosque was restored in 1980 by a group of Shi'ite Muslims from Brunei. The main mihrab is of pale marble, with beautiful gold trim and calligraphy. You used to be able to climb on to the city walls from al-Hakim Mosque, but that has been officially banned. That does not mean, however, that you can't ask the caretakers: for a little baksheesh, they may find that they can discover the necessary keys after all.

Description:

Dedicated to and named after the granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammed, this large mosque was renovated many times over the centuries and is distinguished by its tin dome. Sayeda Zeinab sought refuge in Egypt after the Ummayads slew her brother, Hussein, in 680 CE. Her body is entombed inside the mosque. Many Egyptians—especially women—consider Sayeda Zeinab a saint, and visit the mosque seeking her baraka (blessing) in matters of fortune and health. While the mosque is not perceived as a tourist site, foreign visitors may enter if they dress modestly and act respectfully.