A clock tower gifted from France stands here. But the story of Hz. Ali Merkez Camii is not directly available. We can still explore similar stories of other mosques.
Imagine stepping into Cairo’s Muhammad Ali Mosque. It is also known as the Alabaster Mosque. This magnificent structure shares architectural similarities with mosques in Istanbul.
Muhammad Ali Pasha commissioned it. Construction took place between 1832 and 1857. The mosque dominates Cairo’s skyline from its position in the Cairo Citadel.
Unlike traditional Cairene architecture the Muhammad Ali Mosque showcases Ottoman and European influences. Alabaster covers its walls. This gives it the name “Alabaster Mosque”.
Muhammad Ali demolished old Mamluk-era palaces to build his mosque. He wanted new palaces in the Citadel. About ten meters of rubble had to be filled. This created a platform for the new mosque.
Pascal Coste a French architect initially planned a neo-Mamluk style mosque. Muhammad Ali rejected this design. Construction restarted in 1832 in a more Ottoman style. The architect remains unknown.
Muhammad Ali insisted on using alabaster. He wished to promote a local industry. The mosque’s decoration finished in 1857 during Sa’id Pasha’s reign.
Before completion alabaster panels were used for Abbas I’s palaces. The stripped walls were clad with wood painted like marble. Muhammad Ali Pasha was buried in a Carrara marble tomb. His body moved here from Hosh al-Basha in 1857.
King Fuad I oversaw extensive care for the mosque. Structural issues were identified. The building’s weight distribution had weakened. Stones supporting the arches disintegrated. Cracks appeared due to iron ties oxidizing.
King Fuad ordered a committee in 1931. They proposed a restoration plan. The central dome needed dismantling and rebuilding. Steel scaffolding supported the restoration. Dismantling began in 1935.
The restoration preserved original proportions. Reinforcements strengthened the design. Domes were reconstructed with hollow interiors. They matched the original aesthetic. Samples and detailed drawings aided the process.
The demolition and reconstruction cost a lot. Additional funds covered plastering decorations and gilding. King Farouk I reopened it for prayer in 1939. He ordered a new alabaster pulpit closer to the mihrab.
King Farouk also restored the clock tower. He planned to clad facades with alabaster. Courtyards became sanctuaries.
In 2012 historic carpets were restored. In 2014 the clock tower restoration started. By 2017 efforts aimed to restore the mosque’s original splendor.
The Muhammad Ali Mosque’s style is entirely Ottoman. It mirrors the Şehzade Mosque and Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. This reflects Ottoman architecture. Decorations favor European influences. Qur’anic inscriptions remain present.
Ottoman Cairo’s architecture blended Ottoman and Mamluk styles before this. Muhammad Ali’s mosque symbolized his efforts to create a new order. Its size and position reinforced this.
Limestone is the main material. Lower walls and the courtyard are faced with alabaster. The rectangular courtyard measures 55 by 57 meters. Riwaqs surround it.
Two cylindrical minarets stand at the southern and eastern corners. They are over 80 meters tall. A monumental clock tower rises over the northwestern wall. King Louis Philippe of France gifted it.
The prayer hall is almost square. It is roofed with a central dome. Four semi-domes and smaller corner domes surround it. The central dome is 21 meters in diameter. The apex reaches 52 meters.
Muhammad Ali is buried in a tomb inside the mosque. It is in the western corner of the prayer hall. Abbas I gifted the marble cenotaph. A bronze screen hides it. The Muhammad Ali Mosque stands as a testament to history.