Mosque of Al-Refai
Al Rifai Mosque: There are a few important places in Cairo that stand out to anyone who thinks about going to Egypt. Because of the different civilizations that lived there, Cairo’s attractions are all different. The pyramids show the culture of the Pharaohs. The churches and Coptic Cairo show the culture of Christians. The mosques and Islamic Cairo show Islamic architecture and art.
Cairo is called “the city of a thousand minarets” because Muslim Arabs came to Egypt and built so many mosques. Some mosques have a mix of different kinds of art. The Al-Refai Mosque is a big and well-known mosque in Cairo. This Mosque is the best place to go if you want to see beautiful Islamic architecture.
How Al Rifai Mosque Came to Be
Between 1869 and 1912, it was built. In 1869, Khoshiar, who was Ismael Pacha’s mother, had a mosque built as a place for the royal family to be buried. Engineer Hussien Fahmy Pacha planned and designed the Mosque, but he died while the first part of the Mosque was being built.
In 1881, building stopped so that some plans could be changed. Khoshiar died in 1885, and work on the building stopped. The Mosque is where Khoshiar Hanem was laid to rest. After 25 years, Hatz Pacha was told by Governor Abbas II to finish building the Mosque. The Mosque opened to the public in 1912.
The Building of the Al Rifai Mosque
In the Plaza de la Ciudadela, it was built (the Citadel of Saladin). It’s in front of the Sultan Hassan Mosque (14th century). It took 43 years to finish building the Mosque. The original plan for the Mosque was to expand the Islamic religious school of Zawya of Al-Refai and build a mosque similar to the Mosque of Sultan Hassan as a tomb for the royal family.
There are many doors to the Mosque, but the main entrance is on the west side, under a golden dome. The tombs of Abu Shebak and Ali Al-Ansari are right after the main entrance. Ornaments made of gold and wood are on the doors and windows. Marble from seven different countries was used to make the walls. The ceiling is very high and big. There are almost 44 columns that have verses from the Golden Quran written on them.
The Mosque of Al-Refai
The name of the mosque is “The Royal Mosque.” The Mosque is almost 6500 m2 and has a square dome. Nearly 1700 m2 is used for prayer, and the rest is filled with mausoleums. Even though the Mosque is named after Ahmed Al-Refai, he was not buried there. However, his relative “Abu Shebak” was. There is also the tomb of the last Shah of Iran, Muhammad Reda, and several members of the royal family, such as King Faruk, King Fuad I, and Princess Farida.
See the sights in Cairo.
Check out our tours in Cairo if you are in Cairo and want to go on a tour. You can also visit other tourist spots in Egypt, look at our Egypt travel packages or Nile cruises, and pick the trip of your dreams.
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