Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque

　　   The Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque is adjacent to the Bab Zuweila city gate. Its construction has an interesting backstory. The builder was a Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty who was once imprisoned here and endured great suffering. He vowed that if he ever regained power, he would transform this prison into a school and mosque for scholars. After regaining his freedom, he fulfilled his oath by spending lavishly to turn the prison into one of the most beautiful mosques and madrasas in Cairo. Later, the Sultan and his family were also buried within the mosque.

　　   The basic layout of the Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque is similar to other mosques in Cairo, featuring white marble walls, tall minarets, and a spacious prayer hall. The marble used to decorate the walls, ceilings, and floors comes in various colors, sourced from different quarries. The stunning design is truly breathtaking. The twin minarets of the mosque even rise higher than the nearby Bab Zuweila gate—the largest gate in the area—making it hard to believe that this was once a dilapidated prison.

　　   Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Sheikh Mosque    Must-visit reason: The most legendary mosque in Cairo    Continent: Africa    Country/Region: Egypt    Province/State: Cairo Governorate    City: Cairo