The Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali
Perched atop Cairo’s Citadel, the Mohamed Ali Mosque is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, its silhouette dominating the skyline of Islamic Cairo. Known as the “Alabaster Mosque” for the alabaster cladding on its walls, it was commissioned by Mohamed Ali Pasha — the Albanian-born Ottoman governor widely regarded as the founder of modern Egypt — and built between 1830 and 1848.
A Deliberate Break from Tradition
Rather than following the Mamluk architectural style of Cairo’s older mosques, Mohamed Ali chose a design in the Ottoman style, modeled on the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul. The mosque was designed by architect Yusuf Bushnak, and its central dome, rising 52 meters high with a 21-meter diameter, is surrounded by four smaller domes — a hallmark of Ottoman religious architecture.
The Clock Tower and a Diplomatic Exchange
In the mosque’s courtyard stands a striking copper clock tower — a gift from King Louis Philippe of France in 1845. It was given in exchange for one of Egypt’s own treasures: the ancient Obelisk of Ramesses II, originally standing at Luxor Temple, which Mohamed Ali gifted to France in return. That obelisk still stands today in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. According to popular local accounts, the clock has never actually worked since it arrived in Egypt.
Visiting the Mosque
At the heart of the mosque’s courtyard is a fountain used for ritual ablution before prayer, surrounded by marble-columned corridors topped with small domes. Mohamed Ali Pasha himself is buried within the mosque, in a tomb of carved Carrara marble near its entrance.
The mosque is easily combined with other Islamic Cairo landmarks nearby, including the Citadel’s other historic sites and panoramic views over the city.
