Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque, Cairo

Located at the Citadel in Cairo, the Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque was built in the 14th century. It was here that the Sultans of Egypt performed their Friday prayers.

The Mamluk Sultan, Al-Nasir Muhammad constructed the mosque in 1318 as a place of worship for the ruler and members of the armed forces. The original structure was improved and the height increased in 1338. In the 16th century, the dome over the prayer niche collapsed. When the Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt, they ransacked the mosque and took away most of the marble paneling to Turkey. It remained a neglected structure until the British took over the administration of Cairo in the late 18th century.

Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad constructed the mosque in Bahri Mamluk style. It had a hypostyle structure with a roof supported by columns. There is a side private room enclosed by intricate ironwork for the Sultan. The call of prayer was broadcast from the north minaret so that the armed forces and palace troops could hear it. The building is square-shaped with a central courtyard that could hold up to 5000 worshippers. The two minarets have intricately carved bulbous portions. The ceilings are covered with glass mosaics, a form of decoration used extensively by Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad in all structures that he commissioned. The Mosque is unique in that the funds available to build it exceeded the actual cost. It remains a place of worship today and is rarely visited by tourists.