Saturday, January 3, 2015

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The magnificent Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque at Alexandria

By asad russel –
About Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, Alexandria, Egypt:
In Alexandria the most beautiful and the most historical mosque is the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque. Over the tomb of a Spanish scholar and saint Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi (1219-86) in 1775 it was primarily built and overlooking the eastern harbor stands on the Mosque Square.


History of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque:
In 1219 in the Andalusia region of Spain to a wealthy family was born Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi. In 1242 for Tunisia he and his family left from Spain because of the wake of the increasing control of Christian. On to Alexandria he later went, at the time of many Muslim scholars a popular destination. As a scholar and teacher for 43 years Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi lived in Alexandria until 1286 of his death. Near the eastern harbor in Alexandria in a small building he was buried.


One of the richest traders of Alexandria El Sheikh Zein El Din Ibn El Qattan visited the tomb in 1307. Along with a small mosque for the tomb he funded a dome and a mausoleum. Who passed Alexandria on their way to and from Mecca for many Muslims from Egypt and Morocco became a place of pilgrimage the tomb of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi.


Next to the saint by the rulers who built themselves tombs over the centuries the mosque was periodically restored. From 1775 dates most of the present structures, when on the site built a much larger mosque by the Algerian Sheikh Abu El Hassan El Maghreby. In 1863 it was fully renovated and to celebrate the birth of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi was established an annual festival.


Under King Farouq I (r.1937-1952) who built the Mosque Square or the Midan el Masaged in 1943 was again beautified the mosque. Some 43,200 square meters the square covers which includes other five mosque as centered Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque around it. In the Arabian style the mosque was renovated in the 13 century when the saint came to Alexandria in that time it was popular, and about 140,000 LE it was cost in total.


At Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque what to see:
Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque stands 23 meters high which colored the cream and in artificial stone dressed, rising to 73 meters on the southern side with a minaret. In the eastern harbor near the shore situated, from the sea can be clearly seen the mosque and the neighbors. An Ayoubids design has the minaret, of different shapes with four sections. On the north and on the east the mosque has an entrance, overlook the square both of which. An Octagon is the main part of the mosque, except for a 5.6 meters high mosaic are dressed in artificial stone with internal walls.


With arabesque is decorated the high ceiling and known as the Shokhsheikha a great octagonal skylight contains. There are three windows of colored glasses each side of the skylight into aluminum frames in arabesque designs set. By four domes the skylight is surrounded, within the complex over the four mausoleums placed.


In the white marble the floors are paved. From the joined and finely carved teak, walnut and citronia are made of the doors, windows and minbar. By a dome the minbar is capped and in French gold at the top from the Quran written has verses. At the base of the mosque minaret the mihrab stands. There are two columns of the Egyptian granite on either side of the mihrab, at each end in Kufic Arabic calligraphy written with the name of Muhammad.


Along with the lavatories an absolution area is the mayda, with their own entrance overlooking the square are on the western side of the mosque. For woman with private entrance to reserve a special worship area the necessary alterations were made according to a royal order.

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