Muhammad Ali Mosque

The Muhammad Ali Mosque is an Ottoman-style mosque located inside the Citadel of Cairo on Mokattam hill, built in the 19th century by Muhammad Ali Pasha and commonly known as the Alabaster Mosque. Construction began in the 1830s and the complex was largely completed by the mid-19th century.

The mosque is notable for its large central dome flanked by smaller domes and twin minarets, a broad marble courtyard, and an elevated terrace that provides wide views over Cairo. Visitors commonly see the prayer hall and the exterior alabaster cladding; the complex also contains the founder’s mausoleum and clerical spaces.

Commissioned by Muhammad Ali in the decades after he consolidated power in Egypt, the mosque was intended as a visible, modern Ottoman-style monument and has dominated the Citadel skyline since completion. Its architecture deliberately references classical Ottoman prototypes.

Situated on the Citadel’s summit in central Cairo, the mosque overlooks the city and is adjacent to other Citadel buildings and defensive works on Mokattam hill.

• Panoramic view: Perched within the Citadel on Mokattam hill, the terrace offers broad panoramic views over central Cairo and the River Nile.
• Nickname: Often called the Alabaster Mosque because of extensive alabaster facing on interior and exterior surfaces.

What to See #

• Mosque complex: The mosque complex includes the main prayer hall, a large open courtyard ringed by arcades, and a marble mausoleum where Muhammad Ali Pasha is interred.