Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry is in the process of renovating the Muhammad Ali Mosque at Cairo’s 12th century Saladin Citadel on Muqattam Hill, east of Cairo.
The mosque’s nine chandeliers are undergoing maintenance and renovation. They are being dismantled, their electric fixtures and wiring replaced with modern ones, and broken pieces are either being repaired or replaced. Work on one chandelier has already been completed.
The mosque’s carpets and drapes are also being maintained. Forty out of a total 70 carpets that cover the flooring of the mosque have been cleaned; three needed repairs. The drapes, a number of which are embroidered with silver threads, have been repaired and renovated.
The Ministry’s restoration project was launched in the second half of 2017, and included restoration and maintenance of the alabaster pulpit and marble columns.
Muhammad Ali Pasha (1769 – 1849) became Ottoman Viceroy to Egypt in 1805. He ruled till 1848 and founded a dynasty that continued to rule Egypt till 1953 when the monarchy was overthrown and Egypt became a republic. Historically, he is considered the founder of modern Egypt.
The citadel of Salah Eddin al-Ayoubi, who is known to English speakers as Saladin and who ruled Egypt from 1171 to 1193, is one of the greatest monuments of medieval warfare, and a highly visible landmark on Cairo’s eastern skyline. It is located on a limestone promontory that had been detached from its parent Muqattam Hill by quarrying. This location provided a strategic advantage both to dominate Cairo and to defend it against outside attackers.
Watani International
31 January 2018