Masjid
Abu Al-Abbas Al-Mursi is Egyptian city of Alexandria’s largest
Masjid.This beautiful Masjid, with a cream coloured façade , with its
high minaret and five domes, is Alexandria's largest and one of the most
important Islamic monuments
~
. In 1775 the
Algerians built the Masjid over the tomb of the thirteenth century
Andalusan saint Ahmed Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi who had joined and then lead
the Shadhali brotherhood. The interior is made up of eight monolithic
granite columns and a colonnade of elongated arches. It was rebuilt in
1943 with the domes and the towering (73 meter) minaret. It is one of
Alexandria's foremost religious buildings.
The cream-colored Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque stands 23 m high and dressed in artificial stone, with a minaret on the southern side rising to 73 m. Situated near the shore of the eastern harbor, the mosque and its neighbors can be clearly seen from the sea. The minaret has an Ayoubids design, with four sections of different shapes. The mosque has an entrance on the north and one on the east, both of which overlook the square. The main part of the mosque is an octagon, with internal walls are dressed in artificial stone except for a 5.6 m-high mosaic.
The high ceiling is decorated with arabesque and contains a great octagonal skylight known as a Shokhsheikha. Each side of the skylight has three windows of colored glass in arabesque designs set into aluminum frames. This skylight is surrounded by four domes, placed over the four mausoleums within the complex.
The floors are paved in white marble. The doors, minbar and windows are made of joined and finely carved teak, citronia and walnut. The minbar (pulpit) is capped by a dome and has verses from the Qur'an written at the top in French gold. The mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) stands at the base of the mosque's minaret and is flanked by the creed, ”There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah” in Arabic script. Also on either side of the mihrab are two columns of Egyptian granite, with the name of Muhammad written in Kufic Arabic calligraphy at each end.
The mayda, an absolution area, along with the lavatories, are on the western side of the mosque with their own entrance overlooking the square. According to a royal order, the necessary alterations were made to reserve a special worship area for women with a private entrance.
Imam Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi was born to a wealthy family in the Andalusia region of Spain in 1219. In the wake of increasing Christian control of Spain, he and his family left for Tunisia in 1242. He later went on to Alexandria, a popular destination of many Muslim scholars at the time.Imam Abu al-Abbas lived in Alexandria for 43 years as a scholar and teacher until his death in 1286. He was buried in a small building near the eastern harbor in Alexandria.
In 1307, El Sheikh Zein El Din Ibn El Qattan, one of the richest traders of Alexandria, visited the tomb. He funded a mausoleum and dome for the tomb, along with a small Masjid. The tomb of Abu al-Abbas became a place of pilgrimage for many Muslims from Egypt and Morocco who passed through Alexandria on their way to and from Mecca.
The Masjid was periodically restored over the centuries by rulers who built themselves tombs next to the saint. Most of the present structure dates from 1775, when the Algerian Sheikh Abu el Hassan El Maghreby built a much larger Masjid on the site. It was fully renovated in 1863, and an annual festival was established to celebrate the birth of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi.
The Masjid was again beautified in 1943 under King Farouq I (r.1937-1952), who built the Midan el Masaged, or "Masjid Square." The square covers some 43,200 square meters and includes five other Masjids centered around the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Masjid. The Masjid was renovated in the Arabian style that was popular when the saint came to Alexandria in the 13th century.
The cream-colored Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque stands 23 m high and dressed in artificial stone, with a minaret on the southern side rising to 73 m. Situated near the shore of the eastern harbor, the mosque and its neighbors can be clearly seen from the sea. The minaret has an Ayoubids design, with four sections of different shapes. The mosque has an entrance on the north and one on the east, both of which overlook the square. The main part of the mosque is an octagon, with internal walls are dressed in artificial stone except for a 5.6 m-high mosaic.
The high ceiling is decorated with arabesque and contains a great octagonal skylight known as a Shokhsheikha. Each side of the skylight has three windows of colored glass in arabesque designs set into aluminum frames. This skylight is surrounded by four domes, placed over the four mausoleums within the complex.
The floors are paved in white marble. The doors, minbar and windows are made of joined and finely carved teak, citronia and walnut. The minbar (pulpit) is capped by a dome and has verses from the Qur'an written at the top in French gold. The mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) stands at the base of the mosque's minaret and is flanked by the creed, ”There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah” in Arabic script. Also on either side of the mihrab are two columns of Egyptian granite, with the name of Muhammad written in Kufic Arabic calligraphy at each end.
The mayda, an absolution area, along with the lavatories, are on the western side of the mosque with their own entrance overlooking the square. According to a royal order, the necessary alterations were made to reserve a special worship area for women with a private entrance.
Imam Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi was born to a wealthy family in the Andalusia region of Spain in 1219. In the wake of increasing Christian control of Spain, he and his family left for Tunisia in 1242. He later went on to Alexandria, a popular destination of many Muslim scholars at the time.Imam Abu al-Abbas lived in Alexandria for 43 years as a scholar and teacher until his death in 1286. He was buried in a small building near the eastern harbor in Alexandria.
In 1307, El Sheikh Zein El Din Ibn El Qattan, one of the richest traders of Alexandria, visited the tomb. He funded a mausoleum and dome for the tomb, along with a small Masjid. The tomb of Abu al-Abbas became a place of pilgrimage for many Muslims from Egypt and Morocco who passed through Alexandria on their way to and from Mecca.
The Masjid was periodically restored over the centuries by rulers who built themselves tombs next to the saint. Most of the present structure dates from 1775, when the Algerian Sheikh Abu el Hassan El Maghreby built a much larger Masjid on the site. It was fully renovated in 1863, and an annual festival was established to celebrate the birth of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi.
The Masjid was again beautified in 1943 under King Farouq I (r.1937-1952), who built the Midan el Masaged, or "Masjid Square." The square covers some 43,200 square meters and includes five other Masjids centered around the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Masjid. The Masjid was renovated in the Arabian style that was popular when the saint came to Alexandria in the 13th century.
