# Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque, Alexandria > Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is Alexandria’s landmark mosque and the shrine of a 13th-century Andalusian Sufi saint, in Anfoushi about 1 km from Qaitbay Citadel. The white stone building and its tall minaret date from the 1930s–40s. Entry is free; visitors are welcome between prayers. Allow 20–30 minutes and dress modestly. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/abu-al-abbas-mosque - City: [Alexandria](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria), Egypt - YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - Opening hours: Daily; visitors between prayer times, best mid-morning and early afternoon, avoid Friday midday (unofficial) - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — a working mosque, no tickets - When to visit: Between the five daily prayers; avoid Friday midday prayers - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; headscarf for women; shoes off at the door - Women’s prayer hall: Separate, in the western part of the mosque - Time needed: 20–30 minutes - Money: Nothing to pay; carry small Egyptian pounds in cash to tip the shoe attendant - Getting there: From Saad Zaghloul Square: ≈ 10 min by Uber or taxi, ≈ 30 min on foot along the Corniche - Where: Anfoushi, western end of the Eastern Harbour; ≈ 1 km from Qaitbay Citadel - Coordinates: 31.20561, 29.88225 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **73 m** — minaret — a landmark you can see from the Corniche (source: English Wikipedia; EgyptToursPlus) - **1307** — first mosque built over the saint’s grave by Sheikh Zain al-Din al-Qattan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata; Egyptian Geographic) - **Mario Rossi** — Italian architect of the present building, built over the 1930s–40s (source: English Wikipedia (Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque; Mario Rossi (architect)); Egyptian Geographic; EgyptToursPlus) - **Murcia** — the saint’s birthplace in al-Andalus (1219) — hence “al-Mursi” (source: English Wikipedia (Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi); Egyptian Geographic; EgyptToursPlus) - **5 domes** — one large dome over the prayer hall and four smaller ones (source: English Wikipedia; EgyptToursPlus) - **3,200 m²** — courtyard laid out on King Fouad I’s orders in 1934 (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Geographic) - **1477** — rebuilt by the Mamluk governor of Alexandria (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Geographic) - **Shadhiliyya** — the Sufi order: al-Mursi was a pupil of its founder, Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili (source: English Wikipedia (Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi); Egyptian Geographic) - **Al-Busiri** — author of the Burda and al-Mursi’s disciple, buried in the mosque next door (source: English Wikipedia (Al-Busiri; Al-Busiri Mosque)) - **Marble and mosaic** — white marble floors, mosaic walls and a teak minbar (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Geographic) ## Is there an entry fee? Hours and visiting rules No — the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is a working mosque with **free entry**, no tickets and no ticket office. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome between the five daily prayers. Come mid-morning or early afternoon, and skip Friday around midday, when the week’s main prayer fills the hall and the square outside. Prayer times move with the sun every day, so check a local prayer app or simply wait at the door — the break is usually short. During Ramadan the mosque is busiest in the evening; daytime is better for a visit. The only money you need is a few small Egyptian pound notes to tip the attendant who minds your shoes. Cards are no use here, so keep some cash. > **Dress code for the mosque** Cover shoulders and knees and avoid anything sheer or tight — this applies to men in shorts too. Women need a headscarf; bring your own, as we couldn’t confirm that robes or scarves are handed out at the door. Shoes come off at the entrance: leave them with the attendant or carry them. ## How to get to Abu al-Abbas Mosque 1. Start from Saad Zaghloul Square on the Eastern Harbour, next to Raml Station in the city centre. Alexandria’s trams are currently shut for reconstruction (unofficial), so ignore older advice to take one. 2. Quickest: Uber, or a taxi heading west along the Corniche — about 10 minutes without traffic. Street taxis rarely run the meter, so agree the fare before you get in and pay in cash. 3. On foot: follow the [Corniche](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-corniche) round the harbour — about 1.7 km as the crow flies, 30–35 minutes. Aim for the tall white minaret. 4. The mosque stands on a square in Anfoushi, a few minutes inland from the seafront, sharing a courtyard with two smaller mosques. The main door faces the square. 5. Carry on to [Qaitbay Citadel](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/qaitbay-citadel) — about 1 km, a 15–20 minute walk through Anfoushi. ## History: who was Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi? **Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi** was born in 1219 in Murcia, in Muslim Spain — hence his name. In Tunis he became a pupil of the Sufi master **Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili**, founder of the Shadhiliyya order, followed him to Alexandria and taught here for several decades. He died in the city in the 1280s. A small domed mosque went up over his grave in 1307, and a Mamluk governor rebuilt it in 1477. What you see today is 20th-century: in 1934 King Fouad I ordered a large new courtyard, and the Italian architect **Mario Rossi** designed the present mosque. The work took over fifteen years and finished in the mid-1940s. The style is usually described as Andalusian, a nod to the saint’s homeland — pale carved stone, ribbed domes and a 73-metre minaret. For Egyptians this is first of all a shrine: people come to pray at the tomb, not to admire the architecture. ## What to see inside and around - **The façade and minaret** — carved white stone, an arched portal and ribbed domes; the best shot is from the square. - **The prayer hall** — marble floor, tall granite columns, mosaic panels, carved wooden mashrabiya screens and a bronze chandelier. - **The teak minbar** with Qur’anic verses in gold, and the marble-framed mosaic mihrab. - **The saint’s tomb** beneath the main dome, with some of his disciples buried beside him. People pray here — keep your voice down. - **Al-Busiri Mosque** next door, on the shared courtyard: the tomb of the poet of the Burda, al-Mursi’s own disciple. The Yaqut al-Arshi Mosque is beside it. - **Anfoushi** — the old streets between the mosque and the harbour, on the way to Qaitbay. ## Can you take photos inside? Yes, photographing the building and the hall is fine — just switch off the flash. Don’t photograph people at prayer or at the tomb without asking, and keep the camera down during prayer times. For the whole building in one frame, step back to the Corniche: from the narrow square the minaret won’t fit. > **When not to go** Friday around midday is the main prayer of the week, and worshippers fill the mosque and the square. Don’t walk in during any of the five daily prayers either — wait 15–20 minutes outside. Major Islamic holidays are crowded too; pick another day. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Not Friday midday and not prayer time - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] Headscarf, for women - [ ] Socks, or shoes that slip off easily - [ ] Small Egyptian pounds for the shoe attendant - [ ] 20–30 minutes here, then on to Qaitbay ## Abu al-Abbas Mosque vs Qaitbay Citadel and the Bibliotheca | | Abu al-Abbas Mosque | Qaitbay Citadel | Bibliotheca Alexandrina | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Working mosque and saint’s shrine | 15th-century Mamluk fort | Modern library with museums | | Foreign visitor entry | Free | 200 EGP | 150 EGP | | Closed | Never, but not at prayer times | Open daily | Friday | | From Saad Zaghloul Square | ≈ 1.7 km as the crow flies | ≈ 1.9 km | ≈ 1.3 km | | Time needed | 20–30 min | ≈ 1 h | ≈ 1.5 h | | Dress code | Strict; headscarf for women | None | None | The mosque and the citadel are 1 km apart — one easy walk. The Bibliotheca is at the opposite, eastern end of the harbour. ## Is Abu al-Abbas Mosque worth visiting? Yes, if you are heading to Qaitbay: it is on the way, it costs nothing, and 20–30 minutes is enough to see Alexandria’s finest Islamic interior. It is also a living place, with pilgrims and prayer, not a museum. Don’t cross the city just for it: the halls are not huge and there are no signs or displays for visitors. If you have already seen Cairo’s great mosques, a few minutes outside may be enough. And it is not for you if you won’t follow the dress code or can only come on a Friday at midday. ## Mosques and places of worship in Alexandria Places of faith in Alexandria rated by YesGo. - [Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/abu-al-abbas-mosque) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free, between prayer times ## The western harbour in half a day The mosque, the fort on the site of the Pharos lighthouse, a Corniche walk and the Bibliotheca to finish. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/abu-al-abbas-mosque) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free, between prayer times 2. [Citadel of Qaitbay](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/qaitbay-citadel) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP 3. [Alexandria Corniche](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-corniche) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 4. [Bibliotheca Alexandrina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/bibliotheca-alexandrina) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums > **The best view is from the seafront** From the narrow square the building never fits in one frame. Walk back to the Corniche: from there you see the domes and the minaret rising over the rooftops of Anfoushi. ## Good to know “Al-Mursi” simply means “from Murcia” — the mosque has nothing to do with former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi or anyone else of that name. The mosque next door on the same courtyard is a different one, Al-Busiri, with the tomb of the poet of the Burda. ## Tips - Pair the mosque with Qaitbay Citadel: it is about 1 km away through Anfoushi. - Mid-morning or early afternoon is the quiet window between prayers. - Keep a scarf in your bag all day in Egypt — you will need one in every mosque. - Wear socks: you walk the marble floor without shoes. - After the mosque, walk the Corniche round the harbour — the minaret stays in view for a long way. ## Questions ### Is there an entrance fee for Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque? No. It is a working mosque and entry is free. A small tip in Egyptian pounds for the shoe attendant is customary. ### Can non-Muslims visit Abu al-Abbas Mosque? Yes, between prayer times. Cover shoulders and knees, women need a headscarf, and shoes come off at the door. Avoid Friday midday. ### What are the opening hours? The mosque is open daily from early morning to evening, but visitors should come between the five prayers — mid-morning and early afternoon work best. There are no official visiting hours. ### What should I wear to the mosque? Long trousers or a long skirt and covered shoulders; nothing sheer or tight. Women should bring a headscarf. Socks make the marble floor more comfortable. ### How do I get to Abu al-Abbas Mosque? From Saad Zaghloul Square take an Uber or taxi west along the Corniche (about 10 minutes), or walk round the harbour in 30–35 minutes. Trams are currently closed for reconstruction. ### How far is it from Qaitbay Citadel? About 1 km — a 15–20 minute walk through the Anfoushi quarter, so the two make an easy pair. ### Who was Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi? A 13th-century Sufi master born in Murcia, Spain, and a pupil of al-Shadhili, founder of the Shadhiliyya order. He taught in Alexandria for decades and is buried here. ### When was the mosque built? The first mosque over the tomb dates from 1307 and was rebuilt in 1477. The present building, by Italian architect Mario Rossi, went up in the 1930s–40s. ### Is Abu al-Abbas Mosque worth visiting? Yes, if you are going to Qaitbay anyway — it is free, on the way and takes 20–30 minutes. Not worth a special trip across the city on its own. ## How we checked The mosque has no official website or tickets, so free entry, visiting times and the dress code come from travel sources and are marked “verifying”. Historical facts are checked against at least two sources. The saint’s death year differs (1281, 1286 or 1287), so we say “the 1280s”. Dates for the present building also vary — 1929–1945, 1934–1943, 1943–1945 — so we say “1930s–40s”; the 1775 date on some sites is not used. Distances are straight-line, from OpenStreetMap coordinates. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque; Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi; Mario Rossi (architect); Al-Busiri Mosque; Al-Busiri - Russian Wikipedia: Мечеть Абу-ль-Аббаса аль-Мурси; Wikidata Q1323845 - Egyptian Geographic: article on the al-Mursi Abu al-Abbas Mosque — history, architecture, the saint’s life - EgyptToursPlus: Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque — architecture and visiting rules (unofficial) - Lonely Planet: Mosque of Abu Abbas al-Mursi — tomb and shoes (unofficial) - OpenStreetMap — address and coordinates; Global Mass Transit, 09.04.2026 — Raml tram suspension --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.