The government remains dedicated to renovating the infrastructure of mosques across Egypt, especially Ahl Al-Bayt houses of worship. This initiative aligns with the state’s broader objective of fostering spiritual and intellectual development within religious institutions, ensuring that places of worship remain well-maintained and accessible to all.
To this effect, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi inaugurated at dawn on Thursday the renovation works of the SayyidaNafisa Mosque, in Old Cairo.
This work is part of Egypt’s broader plan to restore historic Cairo and preserve Ahl Al-Bayt (family members of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH) mosques in line with the state’s commitment to safeguarding its religious and cultural heritage.
The president reaffirmed, in this respect, Egypt’s dedication to restoring significant Islamic sites, highlighting the deep connection Egyptians have with the Prophet’s family.
SayyidaNafisa was a female descendant of Prophet Muhammad, tracing her lineage to Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn AbiTalib, the prophet’s grandson. Born in 762 AD, she is well-known in Egypt as a hadith scholar.
The inauguration of renovation works at SayyidaNafisa Mosque comes less than a year after the president opened the landmark SayyidaZaynab Mosque and Al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo following their renovation.
Al-SayyidaNafisa Mosque is located in El-Khalifa district and is one of the oldest in the Cairo governorate.
It contains the shrine of SayyidaNafisa, the great-granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Born in 762 in Makkah and raised in Madinah, she was known for her spiritual and religious knowledge.
In her 40s, she traveled with her family to Egypt, where she was warmly welcomed.
According to Souad Maher Mohamed’s 2017 book ‘Egypt’s Mosques and its Pious Wallies’, SayedaNafisa first came to Egypt with her husband Ishaq Al-Moetaman, son of the sixth Shia Imam Jafar al-Sadiq, in Ramadan of the hijri year 193 and stayed at Dar Ibn Haniea.
Egyptians came out to greet her in great public processions on hawdags (camel rides) all the way from the coastal city of Arish. She lived in Egypt for seven years and was a major icon of spiritual guidance. Egyptians honoured her dearly and valued her presence.
Her home served as both a haven for the poor and a tower for education during her lifetime. She used to hold a lot of information and science magalis (roundtables), and famous people from the time, including Imam El-Shafaai, even requested that she pray over his body when he passed away.
The mosque was constructed in her honour in the square and neighbourhood that bear her name. She dug her grave with her hands and was laid to rest in it in 208 Hijra beneath the dome that quickly became a mausoleum. Prayers in her mosque and visitors to her grave continued.
The first mausoleum constructed over her grave dates back to the Umayyad era, according to historian Al-Maqrizi’s book Khetat Al-Maqrizi. It was later renovated under the Fatimids and then under the Abbasids by Prince Abdel-Rahman Katkhoda, who renovated the mosque and the mausoleum and created two separate doors for men and women in 1173 hijra.
These mausoleums, sadly, did not withstand the test of time. The current mausoleum and mosque were restored in the neo-mamluk style by Khedive Abbas Helmi the Second (1874–1944).
The Egyptian government has repaired several mosques in Egypt with the help of the Bohra community.
