Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi came from Murcia in Andalusia, settled in Alexandria in the thirteenth century and became the head of the Shadhili Sufi order, and his tomb has been a site of veneration ever since. The building over it is modern: an Italian architect designed the present mosque and it was completed in 1945, in a cream stone Andalusian-Mamluk revival style with an octagonal plan, four domes, high arched windows and a minaret of seventy-three metres. Inside, the space is bright and open, with Italian marble columns and geometric ceilings, and four Sufi tombs including the saint's. It stands in Anfoushi, the old fishermen's quarter on the harbour spit, and the square outside is one of the busiest in the city.

History

Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi, a 13th-century mystic, died in 1286 and was buried in a small cemetery in the Bab al-Bahr district, where a small dome was later built over the grave and grew into a shrine. In 1307 a mosque was built over it with money from Zain al-Din al-Qattan, a merchant and Sufi shaykh of Alexandria, and the Mamluk emir of the city rebuilt it in 1477. In 1934 King Fouad I ordered a great courtyard of 3,200 square metres to take in the shrines of al-Busiri and Yaqut al-Arsh as well, with Abu al-Abbas's mosque in the middle, and the building was extensively rebuilt with the Italian architect Mario Rossi involved in its design and decoration (Wikipedia, Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque).

The main sights

• The octagonal prayer hall - bright, high and open on marble columns.
• A seventy-three-metre minaret - the tallest feature of the harbour skyline.
• The saint's tomb - the Shadhili shrine the mosque was built around.
• Anfoushi square outside - the old fishing quarter at the mosque door.

When to go

April to November, outside prayer times. Friday midday is very busy and not the moment for a visit. Evenings when the mosque is lit are striking from the square. One hour.

Good to know

The building is twentieth century in a historical style, so it is not the medieval monument some expect. Access for non-Muslims varies with who is on the door and may be refused. Modest dress and shoes off. The square outside is chaotic with traffic and hawkers.

Nearby

The Qaitbay fort is at the end of the spit; the fish market is a short walk.

Key facts