Renovation done by Bohra community
After 1997, any Indian PM has visited Egypt. The mosque is one of the holiest sites for Muslims in Egypt. The mosque is located on the eastern side of Al-Mu’izz Street. According to local reports, the Dawoodi Bohra Ismaili Shia sect donated around £85 million in local currency for the mosque. It was reopened to the public in February this year. The credit for the renovation of this mosque goes to Sultan Mufaddal Saifuddin of the Indian Bohra community and their spiritual leader the 53rd Al-Dai Al-Mutlaq.
The mosque was in bad condition
Bassam Radi, a spokesman for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said that the president thanked him for the renovation of several temples and historic mosques. The construction of this mosque was started by Ahmad ibn Tulun, the founder of the Tulunid Kingdom of Egypt, in 879 AD and was completed in 1013. It is the fourth oldest mosque in Egypt and the second largest mosque in Cairo. But with the passage of time, the mosque had reached a very bad condition.
included in the UNESCO heritage
According to its official page, the condition of the mosque had become such that it seemed to have no role left. Tourists from Europe started coming to Egypt in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its premises were then converted into a fort, stables, a museum, a warehouse and a school. In 1979, a part of it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List located in Cairo.