Egypt inaugurates newly restored Ottoman mosque at Cairo citadel

A general view of the restored Sariyat al-Gabal Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Suleyman Pasha al-Khadim, the first Ottoman era mosque built inside the Salah al-Din Citadel in old Cairo, Egypt, September 16, 2023. (REUTERS)

An archaeologist walks inside the restored Sariyat al-Gabal Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Suleyman Pasha al-Khadim, the first Ottoman mosque built inside the Salah al-Din Citadel in old Cairo, Egypt, September 16, 2023. (REUTERS)

Media personnel record visuals of the restored Sariyat al-Gabal Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Suleyman Pasha al-Khadim, the first Ottoman era mosque built inside the Salah al-Din Citadel in old Cairo, Egypt, September 16, 2023. (REUTERS)

A man records visual at the area of history tombs at the restored Sariyat al-Gabal Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Suleyman Pasha al-Khadim, the first Ottoman era mosque built inside the Salah al-Din Citadel in old Cairo, Egypt, September 16, 2023. (REUTERS)

• The 2,360-square meter mosque complex lies on the site of the Fatimid-era tomb of Sayed Sariya, built in 1140 A.D. and which still survives

CAIRO: Egypt has inaugurated a newly restored Ottoman mosque, built by the 16th century governor Suleyman Pasha Al-Khadim, that lies within the citadel that has dominated Cairo’s skyline for centuries.
The mosque, with 22 green-tiled domes and minbar (prayer niche) inlaid with renowned Iznik tiles, is Cairo’s earliest Ottoman mosque, built in 1528 A.D., eleven years after the Ottoman army under Sultan Selim conquered Egypt from the Mamluk empire.
The 2,360-square meter mosque complex lies on the site of the Fatimid-era tomb of Sayed Sariya, built in 1140 A.D. and which still survives.
“To distinguish the Ottoman mosques, the minaret is usually pencil-shaped,” said Mostafa Waziri, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. “The mosque consists of the prayer area, the vicinity, the Fatimid cemetery and the Kuttab (Qur’an school).”
The mosque, known as the Suleyman Pasha Al-Khadim mosque and also the Sariya mosque, is inside Cairo’s citadel. The citadel was built by the Muslim general Salah Al-Din after he conquered Cairo from the Fatimids. A few years later Salah Al-Din went on to conquer Jerusalem from the Crusaders.
The restoration took five years under the supervision of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and the military’s Arab Organization for Industrialization.