The Mosque of Al-Morsi Abu Al-Abbas is one of the oldest and most famous mosques built in Alexandria, as it is distinguished by its distinctive domes, which is one of the most important features of the Abu al-Abbas area in the Bahri area of Alexandria.
Information about the mosque
It is located in Al-Anfoushi area in Alexandria near Qaitbay Citadel. The most important historical mosque in Alexandria, Egypt, which is also very beautiful, is considered the property of the Mursi Abu al-Abbas. The building was now built in 1775, over the tomb of the Sufi saint Ahmad Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi (nicknamed the Mursi Abu al-Abbas) who entered the Shadhiliyya sect and later led it as a powerful Sufi.
The site of the modern mosque has a long history. Initially, it was none other than the tomb of Mursi Abu al-Abbas, which remains to this day in its original location. The cemetery is located in a small building near the eastern port of Alexandria.
In 1370, the tomb was visited by Sheikh Zain al-Din Ibn Al-Qattan, one of Alexandria's wealthy merchants. He ordered his subordinates to build a tomb and a dome for the grave. He also built a beautiful mosque with a small rectangular tower. He also funded the imam of the small mosque. The tomb is located under the dome on the right side of the entrance. This mosque became a place of immigration for many Muslims from Egypt and Morocco who passed through Alexandria during the pilgrimage to and from Mecca.
Although in 1477 this mosque was in poor condition and in dire need of repair. So Al-Zahiri, the government of Alexandria, visited him and ordered the restoration of the mosque. At the same time, he built a tomb for himself next to Abu al-Abbas and was buried in it after his death. Back in 1596 AD, the mosque was rebuilt after the visit of Sheikh Abu al-Abbas al-Khwarizmi, who also built a tomb for himself in the complex. Although the original structure did not include the ancient elements, it was Sheikh Abu al-Hassan al-Maghribi who ordered the current development of the site after visiting the Small Mosque in 1755.
However, in 1863, the mosque was now in poor condition again, and unfit for worship. Thus Ahmed Al-Kakhni, one of the most famous builders of Alexandria, restored the mosque now and then a number of houses built around the mosque were moved to make more space. Then, Ali Mubarak, head of education in Egypt, described it as "broad, strong and well-presented, and Islam is practiced in the best possible way." Now the mosque is run by the endowment (endowment), which is a government endowment for Islamic affairs, which appoints imams as well as guardians. Festivals or festivals are held to celebrate the birth of Abu Al-Abbas, which are held for eight days each year.
King Farouk, who wanted to make Cairo Paris on the Nile, also tried to make Alexandria a Mediterranean gem. There, he constructed a large square known as "Mosque Square" or "Mosque Square", covering about 43,200 square meters. The Abu Abbas Al-Morsi Mosque is the main axis of this square, and it is surrounded by five other mosques, among them Al-Bousiri and Yaqout Al-Arashi. As part of this building program, the mosque was rebuilt by a beautiful Arabic style government that was popular in the Ayyubid era, around the time Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi first came to Alexandria from Spain. They also paid special attention to the saint's tomb during these renovations, leaving it in its original place.
This is a major reconstruction of the mosque. The walls of the mosque were constructed 23 meters high and covered with artificial stone, while the tower on the southern side was raised to 73 meters. It has an Ayyubid design and consists of four parts. The first segment is about 15 meters long and is rectangular in shape. The second is four meters high, eight sides. The third level has a height of about 15 with sixteen sides, while the upper level is 3.25 meters high in a circular motion. The upper part of the tower is covered with copper and has the most important characteristic of the Islamic month.
The mosque has two main entrances. The northern side faces the square and faces the road to the royal palace at Ras Tin. The eastern gate also faces the square. Entrance stairs are made of Egyptian granite.
The main part of the mosque from the inside is the octagon, with a side length of 22 meters. The interior walls also feature artificial stone, although there is a mosaic chest of 5.60 meters high. The entire area of ​​the mosque is 3000 square meters. The roof supported by sixteen columns made of Italian granite rises at the next supporting arch 17.20 square meters above it. The ceiling is decorated with arabesques.
Its poles are solid, or monolithic, including its base. It is octagonal in shape, with a diameter of 0.85 meters and a height of 8.60 meters. In the center of the roof there is an eight-sided skylight,
0 Comments