In celebration of its opening, seven key facts about the Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque in Salah al-Din Citadel in Egypt

 Ahmed Issa, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, stressed the keenness of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to restore and develop all antiquities in historic Cairo. The minister added that spending in the budget of the Supreme Council of Antiquities for restoration and development was increased by 3 billion pounds over last year.

The minister pointed out in his speech that the Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque is one of the most important archaeological mosques in Cairo because of its unique and distinctive style, and it was restored with self-financing by the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Major General Khaled Abdel-Al, Governor of Cairo, and Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, toured the Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque in Salah al-Din Citadel.

Saturday morning, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities opened the Suleiman Pasha Al-Khadim Mosque, known as the "Sariat Al-Jabal Mosque," in the Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi Citadel after the completion of its restoration project, in the presence of Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.

If you're planning an Egypt day tour to Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque in Salah al-Din Citadel, here are seven key facts about the mosque:

·         ·     Restoration work on the mosque began in 2017 under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, aiming to preserve its historical significance.

·        ·         Built with intricately carved lobe stone, the mosque showcases exquisite craftsmanship based on the original architectural plans.

·         ·        Notably, Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque is the first mosque in Egypt constructed in the Ottoman style. Its minaret features a distinctive pointed Ottoman top, setting a precedent for future Ottoman-influenced minarets in the country.

·         ·        The mosque was established by Suleiman Pasha Al-Khadim, a prominent governor of the Ottoman Empire, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1528 AD. It was built on the site of an older mosque constructed by Abu Mansour Qusta, the governor of Alexandria, in 1141 AD during the Fatimid era.

·         ·        The mosque's layout consists of two main sections. The prayer house, covered by a central dome and surrounded by semi-domes, serves as the main area for worship. Its walls are adorned with marble veneer and inscriptions in Kufic script. The layout also includes an open courtyard between the prayer house and the ablution area, surrounded by covered galleries and additional domes. 

·        ·        The mosque features a pulpit made of local white marble with intricate engravings. A door on the western wall leads to the open courtyard, which boasts a colorful marble floor. Four corridors covered by domes surround the courtyard and support the structure.

·         ·        The mosque's domes were originally adorned with green tiles, and the cylindrical minaret showcased ribbed details. The minaret had two sections, each adorned with multi-pointed muqarnas, culminating in a cone covered with green tile panels. This style of Ottoman minaret was commonly seen in mosques built during the Ottoman era.

T  The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council opened the Suleiman Pasha Al-Khadim Mosque, known as Sariyah Al-Jabal, yesterday, Saturday, September 16, in the presence of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, and Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, inspected the latest developments in the work of the project to develop and restore the Suleiman Pasha Al-Khadim Mosque, known as the Mountain Mast, in the Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi Citadel.

The restoration work on Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque commenced in 2017 and is currently being overseen by the Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Projects and Antiquities Sectors of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The project is self-financed, reflecting the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' commitment to allocating resources towards restoration and maintenance initiatives for archaeological sites, buildings, and museums. The funding is proportional to the mosque's historical and archaeological significance, aiming to enhance the overall Egypt trip, particularly for cultural tourism enthusiasts.

Atef Al-Dabbah, Director of the Technical Office of the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, indicated that the restoration and development work in the mosque included architectural and precise restoration work, which works to return the mosque to its original state, as it was built of carved lobe stone according to the original document for the mosque.

He pointed out that the work included removing the layer of mortar on the walls of the mosque, in addition to completing the work on the domes on the mast and the wooden windows in the main bookcase of the mosque, as well as treating and insulating the copper grilles and maintaining the marble floors and cladding.

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