Abu el- Abbas, Alexandria is one of the highly popular tourist spots in Alexandria in Egypt. It is a mosque that dates back to the year 1796. The Abu el- Abbas, Alexandria was built over the tomb of the 13th Century holy man Abu el-Abbas, who is much revered in the city of Alexandria. The Abu al-Abbas Mosque is the most historic and most beautiful mosque in Alexandria.
The man Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi was born to a wealthy family in the Andalusia region of Spain in 1219. In the wake of increasing Christian control of Spain, he and his family left Spain and finally came to Alexandria, a popular destination of many Muslim scholars at that time. Abu al-Abbas lived in Alexandria for 43 years as a scholar and teacher until he died in 1286.
He was buried in a small building near the eastern harbor of Alexandria, Egypt. In the year 1307, El Sheikh Zein El Din Ibn El Qattan, one of the richest traders of Alexandria, visited the tomb and funded some money for the mausoleum and dome for the tomb, along with a small mosque. The mosque of Abu el- Abbas in Alexandria has become a place of pilgrimage for many Muslims from Egypt and Morocco who passed through Alexandria on their way to and from Mecca at the time.
Abu el- Abbas mosque was periodically restored over the centuries by rulers who built themselves tombs next to the saint. The mosque was fully renovated in 1863 and every year, an annual festival is held to celebrate the birth of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi. Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is 23 meters high and dries made of artificial stone, with a minaret on the southern side rising to 73 meters in height.
There are 4 minarets with an Ayoubids design. The mosque has an entrance on the north and one on the east, overlooking the square. The main part of the mosque is octagonal is shape, with internal walls that are made of artificial stone except for a 5.6 meters high mosaic. The high ceiling of the mosque is decorated with arabesque and contains a great octagonal skylight known as a Shokhsheikha.
The floors are cemented in white marbles and the doors and windows are made of joined and finely carved teak, citronia and walnut. The pulpit is capped by a dome and has verses from the Quran written at the top in French gold.
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