Hurghada Fish Market
Hurghada, Egypt
El Mina Mosque, Hurghada
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Photo: Sohilaali869, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free, no ticket
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Daily between the five prayers; unofficially about 9:00–17:00 for visitors; limited on Friday midday and during Ramadan
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Visiting hours
- Between prayers, unofficially about 9:00–17:00
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Closed to visitors
- During prayers, Friday midday, often during Ramadan and Eid
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered; long trousers for men, headscarf for women
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Cover-ups
- Robes in a room left of the entrance; a token fee is sometimes asked
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Shoes
- Off at the door
- Address
- El Shohada Street, El Mina district, by the fishing harbour
- To Hurghada Marina
- 400 m south, a 5-minute walk along the shore
- From Village Road hotels
- Taxi, Uber or Careem, 15–25 minutes
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time needed
- 30 minutes; 2–3 hours with the fish market and marina
Key facts
Freeentry for visitors outside prayer times
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Unofficial: Tonkosti, Nasha Planeta and easyvoyage travel guides2012the year it opened, after more than five years of building
2 sourcesi
Al-Ahram (20 January 2012 and 23 August 2015)Arabic Wikipedia≈ 40 mheight of each of the two minarets
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Unofficial: Tonkosti, Nasha Planeta and easyvoyage travel guides8,000 m²site area, right on the seafront
3 sourcesi
Al-Ahram, 2015Youm7, 2021Tonkosti guide≈ 7,000worshippers it holds (one 2015 article says 10,000)
2 sourcesi
Youm7, 2019 and 2021Tonkosti guide400 mto Hurghada Marina, a 5-minute walk south
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YesGo calculation from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap coordinates≈ 80 mto the fish market across the road
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OpenStreetMap2019an Islamic cultural centre opened for foreign visitors, answering questions in several languages
2 sourcesi
Youm7, 2019 and 2021Tonkosti guide1968the year the first, smaller mosque was built on this spot
2 sourcesi
Tonkosti guideNasha Planeta≈ 10 kmby road from Hurghada airport (7 km in a straight line)
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YesGo calculation: OpenStreetMap, OSRM routerHarbouris what “El Mina” means; the Arabic name is Masjid al-Mina al-Kabir, the Great Harbour Mosque
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Al-AhramArabic WikipediaCan tourists go inside El Mina Mosque?
Yes. Visitors of any faith can go in every day outside the five prayers, and there is no ticket. The mosque publishes no visitor timetable; guides give roughly 9am to 5pm, and the building itself stays open for worship from dawn until late. Treat those hours as unofficial — the guard at the door has the final word.
Shoes come off at the entrance and go on the racks or mat. Men and women pray in separate halls. Inside you can walk quietly across the carpets and look at the chandeliers and the Arabic calligraphy on the walls. Photographing the interior is usually fine, but not during prayers and never close-ups of people praying; if unsure, ask a caretaker.
Mornings are the calmest. Since 2019 the mosque has also had an Islamic cultural centre for foreigners, where volunteers answer questions about Islam in several languages and hand out free leaflets — nobody will push you into it.
Is El Mina Mosque worth visiting?
Yes, if you're already near the marina or the fish market. El Mina is the town's signature building — white marble, two minarets of about 40 metres and more than twenty domes, right on the shore by the fishing harbour. It is not ancient: the current mosque opened in 2012, replacing a small 1968 mosque on the same spot. Half an hour here is the easiest glimpse of everyday Egypt beyond the resort strip.
It is also big. The site covers about 8,000 m² and the mosque holds around 7,000 worshippers, with thousands more praying on the square outside at Eid. Building took more than five years and was funded by the governorate, the Ministry of Endowments and local donations.
Don't make a special trip from a far-off hotel just for the mosque. Combine it with the market and the marina, and if you take a guided Hurghada city tour, El Mina is almost always on it.
What to see at El Mina Mosque
- The twin minarets — about 40 metres each; the best angle is from the square in front or the fishing quay across the road.
- The marble façade — carved stone and arches in the spirit of Cairo's Mamluk and Ottoman mosques.
- The domes — more than twenty of them, together forming the skyline everyone recognises as Hurghada.
- The prayer hall — deep carpets, large chandeliers and calligraphy running along the walls.
- The evening lights — after dark the mosque is floodlit; the best night shot is from the north end of the marina.
- The fishing harbour opposite — wooden boats, nets and the morning catch being unloaded.
- The cultural centre — ask a question about Islam and pick up a leaflet in your language.
How to get to El Mina Mosque
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Hurghada Fish Market is about 4 min away on foot.
- Hurghada Marina is about 9 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the hotels on Village Road or Sheraton Road, book an Uber or Careem or take a taxi — 15–25 minutes. Ask for “El Mina Mosque”; every driver knows it. Street taxis have no meter, so agree the fare first.
- On a budget, flag a white city minibus heading along the coast towards Sakkala and the port. There are no marked stops: tell the driver “El Mina” and pay in small Egyptian pound notes.
- From Hurghada Marina, walk 400 m north along the seafront — about 5 minutes to the square in front of the mosque.
- From Hurghada airport (HRG) there's no direct public transport: a taxi or Uber covers the 10 km in 15–25 minutes. Drop your bags at the hotel first.
- Enter from the square on the sea side. Women without a scarf should head to the robe room left of the entrance.
- To get back, order a car in the app from the square: taxis wait by the port, but you'll have to agree the fare.
Opening hours, Fridays and paying
There are no official visitor hours. The roughly 9am–5pm window comes from travel guides; outside it you can still see the façade and the square for free, and in the evening the floodlit minarets are worth a short stop. During Ramadan and the two Eid holidays visitors are often kept out, and Friday midday belongs to worshippers.
Paying. Entry is free, so money only matters for the ride and perhaps a robe. Visa and Mastercard work in hotels, larger shops and many restaurants around the marina, but taxis, minibuses and the robe room run on cash — carry small Egyptian pound notes. Uber in Hurghada often ends up as cash too, so keep some notes even if you plan to pay by card.
Before you go: checklist
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El Mina Mosque, the fish market or the marina?
| El Mina Mosqueyou are here | Working mosque | — | Free, between prayers | Morning inside, evening for the lights | 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish market | Market by the fishing harbour | ≈ 80 m, across the road | Free | Morning, for the fresh catch | 20 minutes, an hour with lunch |
| Hurghada Marina | Yacht harbour with cafés | 400 m, 5-minute walk | Free, through security gates | Evening, an hour before sunset | 1 hour, 2 with dinner |
All three are within a short walk of each other: the market and the mosque interior in the morning, the marina and the lit minarets in the evening.
Half a day in old Hurghada: bazaar, mosque, market and marina
The lanes and bazaar of El Dahar, then El Mina Mosque, the fish market across the road and an evening by the yachts. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks.
- El Dahar Old Town1 h 30 min · Free
- 51 min walk from the previous stopEl Mina Mosqueyou are here30 min · Free, between prayers
- 3 min walk from the previous stopHurghada Fish Market45 min · Free entry; seafood sold by weight
- 6 min walk from the previous stopHurghada Marina1 h · Free
4 places · about 4 h 45 min with walks · 60 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
Hurghada Marina
Hurghada, Egypt
How to do it right
- Go inside in the morning when it's quiet, then come back after dark for ten minutes to see the floodlights — best from the north end of Hurghada Marina.
- Bring your own scarf and light long trousers — more comfortable in the heat than a borrowed robe.
- Don't walk in front of people praying or photograph them close up.
- Pair the visit with the fish market across the road: buy your fish and have it grilled for lunch.
- Taking a Hurghada city tour? El Mina is nearly always included, so there's no need for a separate trip.
- Start the afternoon in El Dahar and walk down to the harbour for the call to prayer at sunset.
Questions
Can non-Muslims enter El Mina Mosque?
Yes, every day outside prayer times, and entry is free. Cover shoulders and knees, women need a headscarf, and shoes come off at the door. Friday midday and Ramadan are often off-limits.
What is the dress code for El Mina Mosque?
Men need long trousers and sleeves. Women need covered arms and legs below the knee and a headscarf. Robes are available left of the entrance, sometimes for a token fee.
Is there an entrance fee for El Mina Mosque?
No. You only pay for transport and, possibly, a borrowed robe.
What are El Mina Mosque's opening hours?
There's no official visitor timetable. Guides give roughly 9am–5pm between prayers; prayer times change daily, so check at your hotel.
How do I get to El Mina Mosque in Hurghada?
By Uber, Careem or taxi — 15–25 minutes from Village Road hotels; ask for “El Mina Mosque”. It's a 5-minute walk from Hurghada Marina.
Where is El Mina Mosque?
On El Shohada Street by the fishing harbour in the El Mina district, across the road from the fish market and 400 m north of Hurghada Marina.
Is El Mina Mosque worth visiting?
Yes, as part of a visit to the harbour and marina: it's Hurghada's landmark building. A special trip from a distant hotel just for the mosque is less worthwhile.
When was El Mina Mosque built?
The current mosque took more than five years to build and opened in 2012, replacing a small mosque from 1968.
Can I take photos inside El Mina Mosque?
Usually yes, outside prayer times and without close-ups of worshippers. The façade and the floodlit minarets at night are the classic shots.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Al-Ahram, 20 January 2012 — the Red Sea governor on the mosque's opening, area and cost
- Al-Ahram, 23 August 2015 — “The Great El Mina Mosque in Hurghada”: area, capacity, minarets, domes, cultural centre, building time
- Youm7, 2019 and 5 March 2021 — tourist visits, robes for women, cultural centre, capacity
- Arabic Wikipedia: “Al-Mina Mosque (Hurghada)”
- Wikidata Q29513945 — coordinates
- OpenStreetMap — address (El Shohada Street, El Mina), fish market and marina locations
- Tonkosti travel guide: El Mina Mosque in Hurghada — visiting rules, dress, robes, address
- Nasha Planeta: El Mina Mosque in Hurghada — entry, prayers, robes, minarets
- easyvoyage.co.uk: “Discover Hurghada's great mosque: El Mina” — hours, dress, Ramadan, shoes
- Uber — Hurghada city page
- OSRM router — road distance from the airport
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