Al-Rifa'i Mosque: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Mosque in Cairo, Egypt}}
{{Short description|Mosque in Cairo, Egypt}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox religious building
{{Infobox religious building
| image                = File:مسجد الرفاعي.jpg
| name                  = Al-Rifa'i Mosque
| native_name          = {{lang|ar|مسجد الرفاعي}}
| native_name_lang      = ar
| image                = مسجد الرفاعي.jpg
| image_upright        = 1.2
| image_upright        = 1.2
| caption              =  
| caption              =  
| map_type              = Egypt
| religious_affiliation = [[Sunni Islam]]
| sect                  = [[Sufism]] ([[Rifaʽi]])
| status                = [[Mosque]] and [[mausoleum]]
| functional_status    = Active
| map_type              =  
| map_size              =  
| map_size              =  
| map_caption          =  
| map_caption          =  
| location              = [[Cairo, Egypt]]
| mapframe = yes
| coordinates          = {{coord|30|9|16.43|N|31|18|37.46|E|format=dms|region:EG_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| location              = [[Salah al-Din Square|Citadel Square]], [[Islamic Cairo]]
| religious_affiliation = [[Sunni Islam]]
| country              = [[Egypt]]
| status                =
| coordinates          = {{coord|30|9|17|N|31|18|37|E|format=dms|region:EG-C_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| functional_status    =
| heritage_designation  =  
| heritage_designation  =  
| leadership            =  
| leadership            =  
| website              =  
| website              =  
| architecture          = yes
| architect            = {{ubl|Hussein Fahmi Pasha|[[Max Herz]]}}
| architect            = [[Hussein Fahmi Pasha]], [[Max Herz]]
| architecture_type    = Mosque
| architecture_type    = mosque
| architecture_style    = [[Neo-Mamluk architecture|Neo-Mamluk]]
| architecture_style    = [[Mamluk architecture|Neo-Mamluk]]
| capacity              = 10,000 worshipers
| capacity              = 10,000
| length                =  
| length                =  
| width                =  
| width                =  
| dome_quantity        =  
| interior_area        = {{cvt|6500|m2}}
| dome_quantity        = 1
| dome_height_outer    =  
| dome_height_outer    =  
| dome_dia_inner        =  
| dome_dia_inner        =  
Line 29: Line 36:
| groundbreaking        =  
| groundbreaking        =  
| year_completed        = 1912
| year_completed        = 1912
| minaret_quantity      =  
| minaret_quantity      = 2
| minaret_height        =  
| minaret_height        =  
| spire_quantity        =  
| spire_quantity        =  
| spire_height          =  
| spire_height          =  
| materials            =  
| shrine_quantity      = 1: {{small|Ali Abu Shubbak}}
| materials            = Stone; marble
}}
}}
 
The '''Al-Rifa'i Mosque''' ({{langx|ar|مسجد الرفاعي|Al-Rifai|Refaai Mosque}}){{efn|Also transliterated as '''''Al-Refai''''', '''''Al-Refa'i''''', and locally known as '''''El-Refa'i'''''.}} is a [[mosque]] located in [[Salah al-Din Square|Citadel Square]], adjacent to the [[Cairo Citadel|Citadel]], in [[Islamic Cairo]], [[Egypt]]. Its name is derived from the Ali Abu Shubbak who is buried in the mosque. It also serves as the royal [[mausoleum]] of [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Muhammad Ali]]'s family. The building is located opposite the [[Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan|Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan]],<ref name=salwa>{{cite news |last=Samir |first=Salwa |title=Meeting a royal family at Al-Rifa'i |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Meeting+a+royal+family+at+Al-Rifa'i.-a0304450554 |access-date=16 July 2013 |newspaper=The Egyptian Gazette |date=4 October 2012}}</ref> which dates from around 1361, and was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older structure as part of a vast campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city.   
'''Al-Rifa'i Mosque''' ({{langx|ar|مسجد الرفاعي}}, transliterated also as ''Al-Rifai'', '''Al-Refai''', '''Al-Refa'i''', locally known as '''El-Refa'i''', and in [[English language|English]]: the '''Refaai Mosque''') is located in [[Salah al-Din Square|Citadel Square]], adjacent to the [[Cairo Citadel]]. Its name is derived from the Ali Abu Shubbak who is buried in the mosque. Now, it is also the royal [[mausoleum]] of [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Muhammad Ali]]'s family. The building is located opposite the [[Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan|Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan]],<ref name=salwa>{{cite news|last=Samir|first=Salwa|title=Meeting a royal family at Al-Rifa'i|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Meeting+a+royal+family+at+Al-Rifa'i.-a0304450554|access-date=16 July 2013|newspaper=The Egyptian Gazette|date=4 October 2012}}</ref> which dates from around 1361, and was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older structure as part of a vast campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city.   


==History==
==History==
The original structure on the site was a small 12th century [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]]-era mosque, known as the Al-Dakhirah Mosque.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://egymonuments.gov.eg/monuments/al-rifa-i-mosque/ | title=Al-Rifa'i Mosque }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Encyclopedia of Egypt’s Mosques and their Righteous Saints, by Suʻād Māhir Muḥammad</ref> But later, the grandson of [[Ahmad al-Rifaʽi|Ahmad al-Rifa'i]], [[Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i]], was buried within it, and the place was converted into a [[Zawiya (institution)|Zawiya]] for the [[Rifaʽi|Rifa'i]] tariqah.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://egymonuments.gov.eg/monuments/al-rifa-i-mosque/ | title=Al-Rifa'i Mosque }}</ref> This Zawiya became known as the Al-Bayda Zawiya, and it not only contained the tomb of Ali Abu Shubbak, but also included the tomb of another Sufi mystic, Yahya al-Ansari.<ref>Abdulwahhab, Hassan (1946). تاريخ المساجد الأثرية (1946 edition ed) volume 2</ref>
The original structure on the site was a small 12th century [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]]-era mosque, known as the Al-Dakhirah Mosque.<ref name=EM>{{cite web |url=https://egymonuments.gov.eg/monuments/al-rifa-i-mosque/ |title=Al-Rifa'i Mosque |work=egymonuments.gov.eg |date= |access-date= }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Egypt’s Mosques and their Righteous Saints |author=Māhir Muḥammad, Suʻād |year= |publisher= |isbn= |page= |lang= }}</ref> But later, the grandson of [[Ahmad al-Rifaʽi|Ahmad al-Rifa'i]], [[Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i]], was buried within it, and the place was converted into a [[Zawiya (institution)|Zawiya]] for the [[Rifaʽi|Rifa'i]] tariqah.<ref name=EM/> This Zawiya became known as the Al-Bayda Zawiya, and it not only contained the tomb of Ali Abu Shubbak, but also included the tomb of another Sufi mystic, Yahya al-Ansari.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>


The present structure of the Al-Rifa'i Mosque was constructed in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912 when it was finally completed.<ref name="salwa" /> It was originally commissioned for [[Hoshiyar Qadin]], the mother of the 19th century [[Khedive]] [[Isma'il Pasha]] to expand and replace the old Zawiya. Hoshiyar ordered an extensive renovation of the zawiya, and so the original structure save for the graves of Ali Abu Shubbak and Yahya al-Ansari was demolished. The new structure was also intended to contain the burial place of the Khedive family.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
The present structure of the Al-Rifa'i Mosque was constructed in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912 when it was finally completed.<ref name="salwa" /> It was originally commissioned for [[Hoshiyar Qadin]], the mother of the 19th century [[Khedive]] [[Isma'il Pasha]] to expand and replace the old Zawiya. Hoshiyar ordered an extensive renovation of the zawiya, and so the original structure save for the graves of Ali Abu Shubbak and Yahya al-Ansari was demolished. The new structure was also intended to contain the burial place of the Khedive family.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
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==Architecture==
==Architecture==
The mosque was designed in a [[Neo-Mamluk style]], which was fashionable in Cairo at the time and which referenced historic [[Mamluk architecture]].<ref name=":04">{{Cite book |last=Sanders |first=Paula |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BFy5Drdpp8kC&pg=PA40 |title=Creating Medieval Cairo: Empire, Religion, and Architectural Preservation in Nineteenth-century Egypt |publisher=American University in Cairo Press |year=2008 |isbn=9789774160950 |pages=39–41}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Avcıoğlu |first1=Nebahat |title=A Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture |last2=Volait |first2=Mercedes |publisher=Wiley Blackwell |year=2017 |isbn=9781119068570 |editor-last=Necipoğlu |editor-first=Gülru |pages=1140–1142 |chapter="Jeux de miroir": Architecture of Istanbul and Cairo from Empire to Modernism |editor-last2=Barry Flood |editor-first2=Finbarr |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YgpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1140}}</ref> When developing its design, the architects of Al-Rifai Mosque tried to match the Sultan Hassan Mosque next to it in grandeur and height<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946">Abdulwahhab, Hassan (1946). {{lang|fa|تاريخ المساجد الأثرية|italic=yes}} (1946 edition), vol. 1</ref> even though they faced some difficulties that were criticized by archaeologists and which was remedied under the supervision of Max Herz.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>
The mosque was designed in a [[Neo-Mamluk style]], which was fashionable in Cairo at the time and which referenced historic [[Mamluk architecture]].<ref name=":04">{{Cite book |last=Sanders |first=Paula |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BFy5Drdpp8kC&pg=PA40 |title=Creating Medieval Cairo: Empire, Religion, and Architectural Preservation in Nineteenth-century Egypt |publisher=American University in Cairo Press |year=2008 |isbn=9789774160950 |pages=39–41}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Avcıoğlu |first1=Nebahat |title=A Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture |last2=Volait |first2=Mercedes |publisher=Wiley Blackwell |year=2017 |isbn=9781119068570 |editor-last=Necipoğlu |editor-first=Gülru |pages=1140–1142 |chapter="Jeux de miroir": Architecture of Istanbul and Cairo from Empire to Modernism |editor-last2=Barry Flood |editor-first2=Finbarr |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YgpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1140}}</ref> When developing its design, the architects of Al-Rifai Mosque tried to match the Sultan Hassan Mosque next to it in grandeur and height<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946">{{cite book |author=Abdulwahhab, Hassan |year=1946 |script-title=fa:تاريخ المساجد الأثرية |volume=1-2 |isbn= |page= |lang=fa }}</ref> even though they faced some difficulties that were criticized by archaeologists and which was remedied under the supervision of Max Herz.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>


The interior area of the mosque is 6,500 square metres, the part designated for prayer is 1,767 square metres, and the rest of the space is allocated for the zawiya shrine and the royal mausoleum. The mosque has two minarets built on circular bases, like the minarets of the Sultan Hassan Mosque. As for the entrances, they are towering and surrounded by stone and marble columns with Arabic capitals. Their lintels are decorated with marble, and their tops also covered with polished and gilded arches.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>
The interior area of the mosque is {{convert|6500|m2}}, the part designated for prayer is {{convert|1767|m2}}, and the rest of the space is allocated for the zawiya shrine and the royal mausoleum. The mosque has two [[minaret]]s built on circular bases, like the minarets of the Sultan Hassan Mosque. As for the entrances, they are towering and surrounded by stone and marble columns with [[Arabic language|Arabic]] [[Capital (architecture)|capitals]]. Their lintels are decorated with marble, and their tops also covered with polished and gilded arches.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>


[[File:Mausoleum of Sheikh Ali al-Rifa'i.JPG|thumb|The wooden enclosure over the grave of Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i within the mosque]]
In the middle of the western side is the entrance to the royal mausoleum, which is surrounded by stone columns with ornate marble bases. To the right of the interior of this mausoleum is the tomb of [[Fuad I of Egypt]] in the western front corner of the mosque. It is covered with colored marble, and adjacent to it is the tomb of his mother, [[Ferial Qadin]]. At the end of the room, there is a door, which leads to another room that contains the tomb of Sheikh Ali Abu Shubbak Al-Rifa'i. This room is topped by a dome. The grave is covered by a wooden [[zarih]] built around it. Between the two front doors is a smaller entrance leading to a room which holds the grave of Yahya Al-Ansari.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>
In the middle of the western side is the entrance to the royal mausoleum, which is surrounded by stone columns with ornate marble bases. To the right of the interior of this mausoleum is the tomb of [[Fuad I of Egypt]] in the western front corner of the mosque. It is covered with colored marble, and adjacent to it is the tomb of his mother, [[Ferial Qadin]]. At the end of the room, there is a door, which leads to another room that contains the tomb of Sheikh Ali Abu Shubbak Al-Rifa'i. This room is topped by a dome. The grave is covered by a wooden [[zarih]] built around it. Between the two front doors is a smaller entrance leading to a room which holds the grave of Yahya Al-Ansari.<ref name="Abdulwahhab, Hassan 1946"/>
[[File:Mausoleum of Sheikh Ali al-Rifa'i.JPG|thumb|The wooden enclosure over the grave of Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i within the mosque]]


==Usage==
==Usage==
The mosque is the resting place of Ali Abu Shubbak, an important saint of the [[Rifaʽi|Rifa'i]] order who is also regarded as one of the [[Ahl al-Bayt]], hence it is a very important place for pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mazaratmisr.org/ahl-ul-bayt/sayyidina-ali-abu-shubbak-al-rifai/ | title=Sayyidina 'Ali Abu Shubbak Al-Rifa'i &#124; Mazarat Misr }}</ref>
The mosque is the resting place of Ali Abu Shubbak, an important saint of the [[Rifaʽi|Rifa'i]] order who is also regarded as one of the [[Ahl al-Bayt]], hence it is a very important place for pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mazaratmisr.org/ahl-ul-bayt/sayyidina-ali-abu-shubbak-al-rifai/ |title=Sayyidina 'Ali Abu Shubbak Al-Rifa'i |work=Mazarat Misr |date= |access-date= }}</ref>


It also contains the royal mausoleum of the Khedive family, where Hoshiyar Qadim and her son Ismail Pasha, as well as other members of Egypt's royal family, including [[Hussein Kamel of Egypt|Sultan Hussein Kamel]], [[Fuad I of Egypt|Sultan and King Fuad I]], and [[Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk]], are buried. [[Tewfik Pasha|Khedive Tewfik]] and [[Abbas II of Egypt|Khedive Abbas II Hilmi]], however, are buried in [[Qubbat Afandina]], a mausoleum built in 1894 in Cairo's [[City of the Dead (Cairo)|Eastern Cemetery]], together with other late members of the [[Muhammad Ali Dynasty]].
It also contains the royal mausoleum of the Khedive family, where Hoshiyar Qadim and her son Ismail Pasha, as well as other members of Egypt's royal family, including [[Hussein Kamel of Egypt|Sultan Hussein Kamel]], [[Fuad I of Egypt|Sultan and King Fuad I]], and [[Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk]], are buried. [[Tewfik Pasha|Khedive Tewfik]] and [[Abbas II of Egypt|Khedive Abbas II Hilmi]], however, are buried in [[Qubbat Afandina]], a mausoleum built in 1894 in Cairo's [[City of the Dead (Cairo)|Eastern Cemetery]], together with other late members of the [[Muhammad Ali Dynasty]].


The mosque served briefly as the resting place of [[Reza Shah]] of [[Iran]], who died in exile in the [[Union of South Africa]] in 1944, and was returned to Iran after [[World War II]].<ref name=Historical_Iranian_Sites_and_People>[http://historicaliran.blogspot.nl/2010/12/reza-shah.html Historical Iranian Sites and People]. 12 December 2010</ref> Part of the burial chamber is also occupied by Reza Shah's son [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], who died in Cairo in July 1980.  He was buried in Cairo following the [[Iranian Revolution]] of 1979.
The mosque served briefly as the resting place of [[Reza Shah|Reza Pahlavi]] of [[Iran]], who died in exile in the [[Union of South Africa]] in 1944, and was returned to Iran after [[World War II]].<ref name=Historical_Iranian_Sites_and_People>[http://historicaliran.blogspot.nl/2010/12/reza-shah.html Historical Iranian Sites and People]. 12 December 2010</ref> Part of the burial chamber is also occupied by Reza Pahlavi's son [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], who died in Cairo in July 1980.  He was buried in Cairo following the [[Iranian Revolution]] of 1979 which was spearheaded by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini]] .


== Burials ==
== Burials ==
'''Sufi mystics'''
=== Sufi mystics ===
 
* [[Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i]], mystic of the Rifa'i order and grandson of Ahmad al-Rifa'i.
* [[Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i]], mystic of the Rifa'i order and grandson of Ahmad al-Rifa'i.
* [[Yahya al-Ansari]], patron saint of Cairo.
* [[Yahya al-Ansari]], patron saint of Cairo.


'''Royal family of Egypt'''
=== Royal family of Egypt ===
 
* [[Hoshiyar Qadin]], Walida Pasha
* [[Hoshiyar Qadin]], Walida Pasha
* [[Isma'il Pasha of Egypt|Ismail Pasha of Egypt]], Khedive
* [[Isma'il Pasha of Egypt|Ismail Pasha of Egypt]], Khedive
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* [[Fawzia of Egypt]], daughter of [[Fuad I of Egypt|Fuad I]]
* [[Fawzia of Egypt]], daughter of [[Fuad I of Egypt|Fuad I]]


'''Pahlavi dynasty'''
=== Pahlavi dynasty ===
* [[Reza Shah|Reza Shah Pahlavi]], founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. His body was removed in 1950 and reburied in Iran.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eugene Register-Guard |via=Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Tx01AAAAIBAJ&pg=3478,6124426&dq=pahlavi&hl=en |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=news.google.com}}</ref>
* [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi]], last [[Shah]] of Iran


* [[Reza Shah|Reza Shah Pahlavi]], founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. His body was removed in 1950 and reburied in Iran.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Tx01AAAAIBAJ&pg=3478,6124426&dq=pahlavi&hl=en |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=news.google.com}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi]], last [[Shah]] of Iran
{{stack|{{portal|Egypt|Islam}}}}
* [[Islam in Egypt]]
* [[:Category:Mausoleums in Cairo|List of mausoleums in Cairo]]
* [[List of mosques in Cairo]]
* [[Muhammad Ali Dynasty family tree]]


==See also==
== Notes ==
*[[Muhammad Ali Dynasty family tree]]
{{noteslist}}
*[[Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque]], royal mosque of the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk Sultanate]] founded in 1318 in the Citadel of Cairo by the Sultan [[an-Nasir Muhammad]].
*[[Timeline of Islamic history]]
*[[Islamic architecture]]
*[[Islamic art]]
*[[Lists of mosques]]
*[[List of mosques in Africa]]
*[[List of mosques in Egypt]]
*[[List of mausolea]]


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*al-Asad, Mohammad. The Mosque of Rifa'i in Cairo. 1993. In Muqarnas X: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Margaret B. Sevcenko (ed.). Leiden: E.J. Brill.
* {{cite journal |author=Arnaud, Jean-Luc |title=Maps of Cairo and the Development of the City at the End of the 19th Century |journal=Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre |volume=1–2 |editor=Petruccioli, Attilo |pages=82–91 |location=Rome |publisher=Dell’oca Editore |year=1993 |isbn= |doi= }}
*Jones, Dalu. "Va Pensiero... Italian Architects in Egypt at the Time of the Khedive.” In Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre, 86–93. Rome: Carucci Editore, 1990.
* {{cite book |author=al-Asad, Mohammad |chapter=The Mosque of Rifa'i in Cairo |year=1993 |title=Muqarnas X: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture |editor=Sevcenko, Margaret B. |location=Leiden |publisher=E.J. Brill |isbn= |pages= }}
*Arnaud, Jean-Luc. "Maps of Cairo and the Development of the City at the End of the 19th Century.” In Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre 1–2, edited by Attilo Petruccioli, 82–91. Rome: Dell’oca Editore, 1993.
* {{cite journal |author=Jones, Dalu |title=Va Pensiero... Italian Architects in Egypt at the Time of the Khedive |journal=Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre |pages=86–93 |location=Rome |publisher=Carucci Editore |year=1990 |isbn= |doi= }}
*Noweir, Sawsan and Philippe Panerai. "Cairo: The Old Town.” In Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre 1–2, edited by Attilo Petruccioli, 60–67. Rome: Carucci Editore, 1989.
* {{cite journal |author=Noweir, Sawsan |author2=Panerai, Philippe |title=Cairo: The Old Town |journal=Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre |volume=1–2 |editor=Petruccioli, Attilo |pages=60–67 |location=Rome |publisher=Carucci Editore |year=1989 |isbn= |doi= }}


==External links==
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Commons category-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051126082057/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=3476 Al-Rifa'i Mosque]
* {{cite web |url=http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=3476 |title=Al-Rifa'i Mosque |work=ArchNet.org |date=n.d. |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126082057/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=3476 |archive-date=2005-11-26 }}
*[http://www.geocities.com/hazemsakr/royal/rifai.html The Royal Mosque - Al Rifai] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20091027082059/http://geocities.com/hazemsakr/royal/rifai.html Archived] 24 October 2009)
* {{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/hazemsakr/royal/rifai.html |title=The Royal Mosque - Al Rifai |work= |date= |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027082059/http://geocities.com/hazemsakr/royal/rifai.html |archive-date=2009-10-27 }}


{{Mosques in Egypt}}
{{Mosques in Egypt}}
{{Mausoleums in Egypt}}
{{Islamic Cairo}}
{{Islamic Cairo}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Mosques in Cairo|Rifa'i]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rifa'i Mosque, Cairo}}
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes in Egypt]]
[[Category:Medieval Cairo]]<!--district-->
[[Category:Mosques completed in 1912]]
[[Category:1912 establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:1912 establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:20th-century mosques in Egypt]]
[[Category:20th-century mosques in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Cairo]]
[[Category:Medieval Cairo]]<!--district-->
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mosques completed in 1912]]
[[Category:Mosques in Cairo]]
[[Category:Neo-Mamluk architecture]]
[[Category:Rifa'i order]]
[[Category:Sufi mosques in Egypt]]
[[Category:Sufi shrines in Egypt]]

Latest revision as of 11:39, 30 November 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "check for unknown parameters".Template:Wikidata image The Al-Rifa'i Mosque (Template:Langx)Template:Efn is a mosque located in Citadel Square, adjacent to the Citadel, in Islamic Cairo, Egypt. Its name is derived from the Ali Abu Shubbak who is buried in the mosque. It also serves as the royal mausoleum of Muhammad Ali's family. The building is located opposite the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan,[1] which dates from around 1361, and was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older structure as part of a vast campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city.

History

The original structure on the site was a small 12th century Fatimid-era mosque, known as the Al-Dakhirah Mosque.[2][3] But later, the grandson of Ahmad al-Rifa'i, Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i, was buried within it, and the place was converted into a Zawiya for the Rifa'i tariqah.[2] This Zawiya became known as the Al-Bayda Zawiya, and it not only contained the tomb of Ali Abu Shubbak, but also included the tomb of another Sufi mystic, Yahya al-Ansari.[4]

The present structure of the Al-Rifa'i Mosque was constructed in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912 when it was finally completed.[1] It was originally commissioned for Hoshiyar Qadin, the mother of the 19th century Khedive Isma'il Pasha to expand and replace the old Zawiya. Hoshiyar ordered an extensive renovation of the zawiya, and so the original structure save for the graves of Ali Abu Shubbak and Yahya al-Ansari was demolished. The new structure was also intended to contain the burial place of the Khedive family.[3]

The original architect was Hussein Fahmi Pasha, a distant cousin in the dynasty founded by Muhammad Ali of Egypt in 1803,[1] but he died during the first phase of construction, and work was halted after the abdication of Khedive Isma'il Pasha in 1880. Hoshiyar Qadin herself died in 1885, and work was not resumed until 1905 when the new Khedive, Abbas II of Egypt, ordered its completion. Construction work was supervised by the Hungarian architect Max Herz, head of the Committee for the Conservation of the Monuments of Cairo.[3]

Architecture

The mosque was designed in a Neo-Mamluk style, which was fashionable in Cairo at the time and which referenced historic Mamluk architecture.[5][6] When developing its design, the architects of Al-Rifai Mosque tried to match the Sultan Hassan Mosque next to it in grandeur and height[4] even though they faced some difficulties that were criticized by archaeologists and which was remedied under the supervision of Max Herz.[4]

The interior area of the mosque is Script error: No such module "convert"., the part designated for prayer is Script error: No such module "convert"., and the rest of the space is allocated for the zawiya shrine and the royal mausoleum. The mosque has two minarets built on circular bases, like the minarets of the Sultan Hassan Mosque. As for the entrances, they are towering and surrounded by stone and marble columns with Arabic capitals. Their lintels are decorated with marble, and their tops also covered with polished and gilded arches.[4]

File:Mausoleum of Sheikh Ali al-Rifa'i.JPG
The wooden enclosure over the grave of Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa'i within the mosque

In the middle of the western side is the entrance to the royal mausoleum, which is surrounded by stone columns with ornate marble bases. To the right of the interior of this mausoleum is the tomb of Fuad I of Egypt in the western front corner of the mosque. It is covered with colored marble, and adjacent to it is the tomb of his mother, Ferial Qadin. At the end of the room, there is a door, which leads to another room that contains the tomb of Sheikh Ali Abu Shubbak Al-Rifa'i. This room is topped by a dome. The grave is covered by a wooden zarih built around it. Between the two front doors is a smaller entrance leading to a room which holds the grave of Yahya Al-Ansari.[4]

Usage

The mosque is the resting place of Ali Abu Shubbak, an important saint of the Rifa'i order who is also regarded as one of the Ahl al-Bayt, hence it is a very important place for pilgrimage.[7]

It also contains the royal mausoleum of the Khedive family, where Hoshiyar Qadim and her son Ismail Pasha, as well as other members of Egypt's royal family, including Sultan Hussein Kamel, Sultan and King Fuad I, and King Farouk, are buried. Khedive Tewfik and Khedive Abbas II Hilmi, however, are buried in Qubbat Afandina, a mausoleum built in 1894 in Cairo's Eastern Cemetery, together with other late members of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.

The mosque served briefly as the resting place of Reza Pahlavi of Iran, who died in exile in the Union of South Africa in 1944, and was returned to Iran after World War II.[8] Part of the burial chamber is also occupied by Reza Pahlavi's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who died in Cairo in July 1980. He was buried in Cairo following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 which was spearheaded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini .

Burials

Sufi mystics

Royal family of Egypt

Pahlavi dynasty

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Historical Iranian Sites and People. 12 December 2010
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Further reading

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External links

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