Mosque of Muhammad Ali (Citadel)

Where it is & how to get there

• Taxi: About 20–30 minutes from downtown Cairo to the Citadel gate on Salah Salem Road.
• On foot: Steep walk up from Sultan Hassan Mosque, about 20 minutes.
• Tours: Islamic Cairo tours usually start here.

The story of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali

The Citadel was founded by Saladin in 1176 to defend Cairo and was the seat of Egypt's rulers for 700 years. Muhammad Ali Pasha, who founded modern Egypt, built his mosque here between 1830 and 1848.

Designed in the Ottoman style of Istanbul's great mosques, it is clad in alabaster, giving it its nickname. Its courtyard holds a clock tower given by King Louis-Philippe of France in exchange for the Luxor obelisk now in Paris.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Great views over Cairo from the terrace.
• Women should cover their hair; shoes are removed in the prayer hall.
• Walk to the terrace for the panorama, with the pyramids visible on clear days.

What's around the Mosque of Muhammad Ali

• Al-Nasir Muhammad MosqueMamluk mosque inside the Citadel.
• Military and Police museumsInside the Citadel complex.
• Sultan Hassan MosqueDirectly below the Citadel.
• Al-Azhar ParkGardens with views over Islamic Cairo.

Questions travellers ask