
This beautiful mosque, with its high minaret and four
domes, is Alexandria's
largest and one of the most important Islamic monuments.
In 1775 the Algerians built the mosque over the tomb of
the thirteenth century Andalusan saint Ahmed Abu
al-Abbas al-Mursi who had joined and then lead the
Shadhali brotherhood. The interior is made up of eight
monolithic granite columns and a colonnade of elongated
arches. It was rebuilt in 1943 with the domes and the
towering (73 meter) minaret. It is one of Alexandria's
foremost religious buildings and women are not allowed
inside the mosque proper, but may only visit a room at
the back of the mosque.
