Mosque of Abu al Abbas al Mursi in Alexandria
Egypt - Ras El Sudr - Marsa Alam - Luxor - Hurghada - Aswan - Alexandria - Abu Simbel - Sharm el Sheikh
Features of Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi in Alexandria
In the year 1307 AD, El Sheikh Zein El Din Ibn El Qattan, one of the richest
traders of Alexandria, ordered his men to build a mausoleum and a dome for the
tomb. The tomb was placed under the dome to the right hand side of the entrance.
The mosque became a place of pilgrimage for Muslims from Egypt and Morocco
who passes through Alexandria during their Haj journey to and from Mecca.
Subsequent series of further renovations and expansions followed.
A mulid or Islamic religious festival was established to celebrate the birth
of Abu El Abbas, which lasted eight days every year.
King Faroug built a wide square known as Midan el Masaged or the Square of
Mosque and the Mosque of Abu el Abbas el Mursi was the focal point and center
of this square.
It is surrounded by five other mosques including that of al-Busiri and Yaqut
al- 'Arshi.
The mosque was rebuilt by the government in the Arabian architectural pattern
that was popular during the Ayyubid Period, the time when Abu El Abbas El Mursi
first came to Alexandria from Spain.
The walls of the mosque stand 23 meters high and dressed in artificial stone
while the minaret, situated on the southern side, rises to 73 meters.
Its Ayoubids pattern has four sections. The first section is about 15 meters
high and square in shape.
The second one is four meters high with eight sides. The third level is about
15 high with sixteen sides while the uppermost level is 3.25 meters high with
a circular shape.
The mosque has two main entrances. The one on the north overlooks the square
and the eastern door also overlooks the square.
The columns are solid or monolithic and octagonal in shape, measuring .85 meters
in diameter and 8.60 meters in height.
The doors, minbars (the Islamic equivalent to the pulpit) and windows are made
of joined and finely carved teak, citronia and walnut.
