Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

The Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is a 13th-century mosque, mausoleum, and Sufi shrine in the Anfoushi neighborhood of Alexandria. It honors the mystic Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi, who is buried here alongside members of the Ashraf family. The mosque stands adjacent to the Al-Busiri Mosque and the Sidi Yaqut Al-Arsh Mosque, all three facing a shared central courtyard.

Don't miss

• The mosque's exterior is designed in a Neo-Mamluk style, inspired by late Mamluk architecture.
• The interior rises about 22 to 26 meters tall, with floors covered in white marble and walls made of artificial stone and mosaic.
• A large dome tops the mosque, surrounded by four smaller domes representing the saint and his disciples.
• The minaret stands approximately 73 meters high on the south side.
• The minbar is made of teak and walnut, with verses from the Holy Qur'an written in French gold on its top.
• The mihrab is encased in a marble frame decorated with a mosaic inscribed with the Shahadah.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

Cheapest way inAlexandria Full Day Trip4.7★ · 271 travelers7-8 hoursFree cancellationFrom$29 per personSee dates →Best full dayPrivate Alexandria Highlights Guided Day Tour4.6★ · 156 travelers~7 hoursFree cancellationFrom$35 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleMirette Tour in Alexandria from Alexandria hotels and Alexandria Port4.8★ · 43 travelers6-8 hoursFree cancellationFrom$102 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The mosque is located in the Anfoushi neighborhood of Alexandria, on the north coast of Egypt.
• It is adjacent to the Al-Busiri Mosque and the Sidi Yaqut Al-Arsh Mosque, all three facing the same central courtyard.
• The tomb of Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi and three of his disciples is located toward the end of the mosque, along with tombs of three mystics from the Ashraf family.
• The prayer hall for women is on the western section of the mosque.

A bit of history

Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi died in 1286 and was initially buried in a small cemetery in Bab al-Bahr. A shrine was built over his grave, and in 1307 a mosque was constructed with funding from merchant and Sufi shaykh Zain al-Din al-Qattan. The Mamluk emir of Alexandria rebuilt the mosque in 1477. In 1934, King Fouad I ordered the construction of a 3,200-square-meter courtyard to include the mosque-shrines of Al-Busiri and Yaqut al-Arshy, with the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque at the center. Italian architect Mario Rossi helped plan the design and decor, and construction took sixteen or eighteen years. The final structure later inspired the much larger Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.