The great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is a mosque situated in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt and commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.

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Mosque of Mohammed Ali

Cairo


Modelled on classic Ottoman lines, with domes upon domes upon domes, this alabaster-white mosque within the Citadel took 18 years to build (1830–48) and its interior is all twinkling chandeliers and luridly striped stone, the main dome a rich emerald green. Mohammed Ali lies in the tomb on the right as you enter.

The glitzy clock in the entrance courtyard was a gift from King Louis-Philippe of France in return for the obelisk that adorns the Place de la Concorde in Paris, but it arrived damaged and was never repaired.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cairo attractions

1. Gawhara Palace & Museum

0.05 MILES

South of Mohammed Ali’s mosque is the Gawhara Palace & Museum, a lame attempt to evoke 19th-century court life, but it’s most often closed. There are…

2. Mosque of An Nasir Mohammed

0.07 MILES

Dwarfed by Mohammed Ali’s mosque, this beautiful 1318 mosque is the only Mamluk work that Mohammed Ali didn’t demolish – instead, he used it as a stable…

3. Citadel

0.14 MILES

Sprawling over a limestone spur on the city's eastern edge, the Citadel, started by Saladin in 1176 as a fortification against the Crusaders, was home to…

4. Police Museum

0.14 MILES

The quirky but flyblown Police Museum is located within the Citadel's old prison building. Inside are displays of famous political assassinations,…

5. Site of the Massacre of the Mamluks

0.17 MILES

From the terrace near the Police Museum you can look down into the narrow entrance where 470 Mamluk beys (governors) were killed by Mohammed Ali's troops…

6. National Military Museum

0.23 MILES

Mohammed Ali’s one-time Harem Palace is now the lavish National Military Museum. It was closed for restoration on our last visit though unlike the other…

7. Carriage Museum

0.23 MILES

Houses a collection of carriages used by Egypt's royalty from Khedive Ismail to King Farouk. Like many of the Citadel museums though, it's often shut.

8. Mosque of Suleiman Pasha

0.32 MILES

Sulieman Pasha, governor of Cairo's Janissary troops, built this small Ottoman-style mosque in the early 16th century.

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