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Al Sahaba Mosque, Sharm El Sheikh

Al Sahaba Mosque in Old Sharm with its two tall minarets and Ottoman-Mamluk style domes at golden hour
Photo: Шухрат Саъдиев, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free, no tickets
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Daily except during the five prayers; may be closed to tourists in Ramadan and on holidays (unofficial)
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
30 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Open to visitors
Daily outside prayer times; if a prayer is on, wait 15–30 minutes
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time needed
30 minutes; about 2 hours with the Old Market
Where
Old Market, Sharm El Maya (Old Sharm), south end of town
From Naama Bay
7–8 km by road: taxi 10–15 min or microbus along Peace Road
Dress code
Arms and legs covered, headscarf for women; free robes at the door
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Shoes
Off at the entrance, left on wall shelves
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Photos
Allowed inside, but not during prayers or of people praying
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Coordinates
27.86652, 34.29523YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

2017opened on 24 March 2017; work began in 2011
3 sourcesEgypt IndependentAl-MonitorWikipedia
≈ 76 mheight of each of the two minarets (some sources say 81 m)
3 sourcesEgypt IndependentEgyptian StreetsTonkosti travel guide
Freefor tourists outside prayer times
3 sourcesTonkosti travel guidenashaplaneta.netfromplacetoplace.travel
3,000 peoplecapacity of the mosque
2 sourcesEgypt IndependentEgyptian Streets
3,000 m²site area
2 sourcesEgypt IndependentEgyptian Streets
36 mheight of the roof over the main hall (37 m in English Wikipedia)
3 sourcesEgypt IndependentRussian WikipediaTonkosti travel guide
Fouad Tawfik Hafezthe Egyptian architect who designed it free of charge
3 sourcesEgypt IndependentEgyptian StreetsAl-Monitor
3 stylesOttoman, Mamluk and Fatimid, combined in one building
3 sourcesAl-MonitorEgyptian StreetsEnglish Wikipedia
Secondlargest mosque in Sharm El Sheikh, after Al Mustafa
2 sourcesEgypt IndependentWikipedia
2 floorsmen pray downstairs, women upstairs, where the library is
2 sourcesEgyptian StreetsTonkosti travel guide
7–8 kmby road from Naama Bay (6 km in a straight line)
SourceYesGo calculation from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap coordinates with the OSRM router

Can tourists go inside the Al Sahaba Mosque?

Yes. Visitors of any faith can go in daily outside the five prayers, with no ticket or fee. You can walk through the prayer halls, look up at the dome, chandeliers and carpets, and take photos of the interior. The conditions are simple: modest clothing, shoes off and quiet — it is a place of worship, not a museum.

Shoes go on shelves by the entrance. The ground floor is the men’s prayer hall; the upper floor is for women and also holds a small library on Islam. Inside you’ll find hand-woven carpets, large chandeliers, stained glass and Arabic calligraphy on the walls. When it opened, the mosque was given two imams who speak English and French, to serve the foreigners who live in or visit Sharm.

No visiting schedule is published. Mid-morning, or the gap between the midday and afternoon prayers, is the easiest time to get inside, while the outside looks its best just after sunset. Friday midday brings the main congregational prayer, so plan around it.

What is the Al Sahaba Mosque?

It is a modern working mosque, not an ancient monument: it opened in 2017. People come for the architecture — two minarets of about 76 m, a sand-coloured carved façade facing the sea and domes inspired by the Mamluk and Ottoman mosques of Cairo. It is the second-largest mosque in Sharm El Sheikh, after Al Mustafa, holds about 3,000 worshippers, and the roof over the main hall rises 36 m.

The name means “Mosque of the Companions” — the Sahaba were the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. You’ll see it spelt Al Sahaba, Al-Sahaba or El Sahaba. Drivers know the area simply as “Old Market”: the mosque stands right in the middle of the Old Market.

The foundation stone was laid in January 2011, and work stalled during the revolution and again when donations ran short. The mosque finally opened on 24 March 2017. Egyptian architect Fouad Tawfik Hafez worked on it free of charge and blended Ottoman, Mamluk and Fatimid styles — in his words, to create a kind of harmony between cultures.

What to see

  • The façade and twin minarets — best seen from the square in front, with its large fountain.
  • The evening floodlights: after sunset the whole building is lit up, the most striking time for photos.
  • The prayer halls — hand-woven carpets, big chandeliers under the dome and stained-glass windows.
  • Arabic calligraphy running along the inside walls — worth a close look.
  • The carved stonework of the façade, with open lattice patterns in a Mamluk and Ottoman spirit.
  • The Old Market all around — spice and perfume stalls, souvenir shops, cafés and seafood restaurants.
  • Towards Sharm El Maya bay: the main façade faces the sea.

How to get to the Al Sahaba Mosque from Naama Bay

Tap a route to highlight it on the map.

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on footdestinationStreet view

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

  • Old Market (Old Sharm) is about 2 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. Hotel shuttle: many hotels run evening shuttles to the Old Market, which is where the mosque is. Ask at reception.
  2. By microbus: walk up from the Naama Bay promenade to Peace Road (Al Salam) and flag down a blue-and-white minibus heading south. Say “Old Market” — it’s the last stop on most lines. About 15–20 minutes; fares around EGP 5–25, cash only (unofficial).
  3. By taxi: 7–8 km by road, 10–15 minutes. Taxis aren’t metered, so agree the fare before you get in. Pay in cash, in Egyptian pounds: foreign Visa and Mastercard work in hotels and bigger shops, not with taxi or microbus drivers.
  4. From the microbus terminus or taxi drop-off, just head for the minarets — you can see them from anywhere in Old Sharm. The entrance faces the square with the fountain.
  5. Staying in Hadaba? You can walk. To get back, take a microbus north along Peace Road or a taxi from the rank by the market.

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Al Sahaba Mosque vs Heavenly Cathedral vs Old Market

Al Sahaba Mosqueyou are hereWorking mosqueSharm El Maya, south—Façade, minarets, floodlightsCovered up, headscarf for women
Heavenly CathedralWorking Coptic cathedralHay El Nour≈ 4 km by roadMurals and stained glass insideShoulders and knees covered
Old MarketBazaarSharm El Maya, around the mosqueNext doorSpices, souvenirs, dinnerModest, no beachwear

The mosque is at its best from outside and after dark; the cathedral is about its interior. Do both in one taxi trip and finish the evening at the market beside the mosque.

Mosques and churches in Sharm El Sheikh

Places of worship in Sharm El Sheikh and Sinai rated by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.

Saint Catherine's Monastery491 hFree entry, museum extra82.8 km
Mount Sinai414 hTour from Sharm ≈ US$30–8081.0 km
Heavenly Cathedral4130 minFree42 min walk
Al Sahaba Mosqueyou are here3930 minFree—

Half a day in Old Sharm: cathedral, mosque, market

The Coptic cathedral by day, the Al Sahaba Mosque at sunset, then the Old Market and the Naama Bay promenade. Add it to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Heavenly Cathedral30 min · Free; donations welcome
  2. 42 min walk from the previous stopAl Sahaba Mosqueyou are here30 min · Free
  3. 3 min walk from the previous stopOld Market (Old Sharm)1 h 30 min · Free entry
  4. 91 min walk from the previous stopNaama Bay2 h · Free (promenade)

4 places · about 6 h 46 min with walks · 136 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on your route

Old Market (Old Sharm)

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

1 h 30 min · Free entry · 3 min walk

Heavenly Cathedral

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

30 min · Free; donations welcome · 42 min walk

How to do it right

  • Arrive an hour before sunset: daylight photos of the façade, then the floodlights, then dinner in the Old Market.
  • Bring your own scarf and light long trousers — robes are available at the door, but your own clothes are cooler in the heat.
  • Don’t photograph people praying up close or walk in front of them.
  • Pair the mosque with the Heavenly Cathedral in one taxi trip — they are about 4 km apart by road.
  • Any prayer-times app set to Sharm El Sheikh, or your hotel reception, will tell you when the doors close.
  • Step back to the far side of the square for the best shot of the fountain and both minarets.

Questions

Can non-Muslims visit the Al Sahaba Mosque?

Yes, every day outside the five prayer times. Entry is free; cover arms and legs, women also cover their hair, and shoes come off at the door.

What are the Al Sahaba Mosque visiting hours?

There are no fixed hours: it is open to tourists whenever no prayer is under way. Prayer times change daily, so ask your hotel. Avoid Friday midday, Ramadan and holidays.

What is the dress code?

Men: long trousers and sleeves, no shorts or vests. Women: arms and legs covered and a headscarf. Free robes and scarves are lent at the entrance.

Is there an entry fee?

No. There are no tickets; you only pay for the taxi or microbus to the Old Market.

How do I get to the Al Sahaba Mosque from Naama Bay?

By taxi in 10–15 minutes (agree the fare first), by microbus south along Peace Road to the “Old Market” terminus, or on your hotel’s shuttle.

Where exactly is the Al Sahaba Mosque?

In Old Sharm (Sharm El Maya), in the middle of the Old Market — 7–8 km by road from Naama Bay and about 20 km from the airport.

Is the Al Sahaba Mosque worth visiting?

Yes, if you’re going to the Old Market anyway — it is the most striking building in Old Sharm. A special trip just for the mosque suits architecture fans.

When is the mosque lit up?

After sunset. Arrive an hour before dark to see it in daylight and then floodlit.

Can I take photos inside?

Yes, but not during prayers and not of people praying. There are no restrictions on photos outside.

When was the Al Sahaba Mosque built?

Work began in 2011 and it opened on 24 March 2017 — a modern mosque in historic styles, not an ancient monument.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Egypt Independent, 28 March 2017 — opening of the Al Sahaba Mosque: date, minarets, area, capacity, cost, architect
  • Al-Monitor, April 2017 — construction history, architect Fouad Tawfik, mix of styles
  • Egyptian Streets, 2022 — layout, floors, library, imams, fountain
  • Travel guides domina.it and egyptra.pro: Al Sahaba Mosque — dress, photos, Friday prayer, interior
  • Wikipedia (English and Russian): Al-Sahaba Mosque (Sharm el-Sheikh)
  • Wikidata Q29513942 — coordinates
  • Tonkosti travel guide (Russian): Al-Sahaba Mosque — visiting rules, dress, photos
  • nashaplaneta.net: “El Sahab Mosque in Sharm El Sheikh”
  • fromplacetoplace.travel: “Sharm El Sheikh sights” — rules for tourists
  • OSRM and OpenStreetMap: road distances to Naama Bay, the airport and the Heavenly Cathedral
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 03.11.2026 ·
How we checkedThe mosque has no official website or published visiting schedule, so visiting hours, dress rules, photography and Ramadan closures are unofficial and marked “verifying”; three independent guides agree on them. Building facts are confirmed by at least two publications. Where sources differ we say so: minaret height is 76 m (Egypt Independent, Egyptian Streets, English Wikipedia, Tonkosti) or 81 m (Russian Wikipedia, nashaplaneta.net) — we write “about 76 m”; capacity is 3,000 (Egypt Independent, Egyptian Streets) or 800 (Russian Wikipedia) — we use 3,000; construction began in January 2011 (Egypt Independent, Egyptian Streets, Russian Wikipedia) or 2010 (Al-Monitor, English Wikipedia) — we use 2011; the roof is 36 m (Egypt Independent, Russian Wikipedia) or 37 m (English Wikipedia). Taxi fares vary several-fold between sources, so we don’t quote them. Details such as a robe room to the left of the entrance or the Companions’ names on the walls could not be confirmed and are left out; sources disagree on who designed Al Mustafa. Distances are measured from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap coordinates with the OSRM router: 7.8–8.3 km to Naama Bay depending on the point on the promenade, so we write 7–8 km. The English query core comes from search results and “People also ask”.

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