5 Stunning Cairo Mosques for Your First Time in Egypt

The Alabaster Mosque or The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha is located in the Citadel, an old fortress that sits high above Old Cairo.

The Mosque was commissioned in the 1800s by its namesake, Muhammad Ali Pasha, whose tomb can now be found therein. It received its other name, the Alabaster Mosque, for the radiant marble that covers both the inner and outer walls of the sight.

Moving to the interior of the Mosque, I sat with my guide, Reham, for a bit – staring up at the dizzying yet radiant lanterns overhead and enjoying the calm reprieve from the heat outside. It was also here I saw Muhammad Ali Pasha’s great tomb.

I love traveling to places with historic buildings and sights, hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old. Older architecture tells a story in both its detailed designs and unexpected flaws. History without words and evidence of time gone by. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is no exception.

The interior courtyard of the mosque is surrounded by four porticoes, of which can be seen multiple archways with intricately stuccoed roofs. These heavenly designs juxtaposed against the rough scratches and peeling textures of construction lend even more to the mosque’s appeal. A beauty that has withstood the test of time.

Heading just outside the inner courtyard to the ziyada, or the space between the inner and outer walls, you can climb the spiral staircase of the Mosque’s minaret. While the minaret is wonderful to behold itself, once you’ve made it up the somewhat treacherous stairs, you’ll be greeted with the most wonderful view of old Cairo, including a birds-eye view back into the Mosque’s courtyard. While there are many viewpoints of the city, this might just be my favorite since it is such a central, historic and peaceful place to take in the sights.

One item to note: A locked iron gate blocks the entrance to the minaret staircase, so in order to climb, you’ll need to ask a guard for entry. Just remember to tip for this incredible experience. I recommend about 5EGP, which is well worth the cost for your own private viewing from the top.

Finally, as somewhat of a bonus to visiting the mosque itself, you might also visit the Gayer-Anderson-Museum right next door. It’s home to a large collection or rare artifacts from the area and also the spot where James Bond (Roger Moore) got into a fist fight in The Spy Who Loved Me. While I ran out of time and wasn’t able to visit the museum in addition to the Mosque, it is easily at the top of my list for my next visit to Egypt.

I adored the blue ceramic tiles that splashed the walls with color. And what the mosque lacked in size, it made up for in grandeur with its myriad of gilded decor.

If you add this mosque to your list, don’t miss out on the rest of the museum as well, especially if you’re an architectural nut like me! To date, it’s tied with Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace as my favorite royal residence.