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The Cairo Citadel, although built by Saladin, is often called the citadel of Muhammad Ali due to the mosque he erected here. The style of the temple refers to the Ottoman mosques. The construction is crowned with a huge dome and four half-domes and smaller domes located in the corners of the temple. The most beautiful, however, are the four soaring minarets which you will be able to see during our 14-day Egypt tour or 8-days Egypt tour.
The entrance to the mosque is through the monumental doorway. To the right of the entrance is the marble tomb of Muhammad Ali. In the middle of the courtyard there is a fountain for ritual ablutions. Islam requires every Muslim to wash his face, neck, hands and feet before praying. Nearby, you can also see a clock - a gift from King Louis Philip of France (1773-1850) to Egypt and a token of thanks for the obelisk of Ramses II the Great from the Luxor Temple, which still stands at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
The interior of the temple delights with decorations and splendor. The domes are decorated with geometric motifs and arabesques, while the walls and floors are lined with Egyptian alabaster (travertine).
Lamps placed on huge metal rings also attract attention. There are no pillars or partitions of any kind. Thanks to the alabaster interior finish, the temple gained a new name - the Alabaster mosque.
There are two minibars in the Alabaster Mosque. The first of them, made of gilded wood, dates from the first half of the 19th century, and the second, made of Egyptian alabaster, was given as a gift from the last king of Egypt - Farouk (1920-19650).
From the nearby observation deck on the right, after leaving the alabaster mosque, you can see the panorama of the city. Not far from the terrace you can see the Sultan Hasan Mosque and Sheikh Ali-Rifai. Further north, with good visibility, we will see the Giza pyramids and even the pyramids in Abusir. The observers will notice something else - the trees on the citadel are trimmed to form the word Allah (God).
See this detailed work of art during our Egypt tour! Book your luxury Egypt tour!
