El-Hussein Mosque

The El-Hussein Mosque sits on the site of the cemetery of the Fatimid caliphs. It was entirely rebuilt under the khedive Ismail. Earlier this century the remains of the cemetery were discovered while work was being done on the mosque's foundations. There are forty-four white marble columns that support the wood ceiling. On one side of the mosque is the mausoleum which is the oldest part of the complex which was built in 1154 and then modified in 1236. In the mausoleum are the remains of El-Hussein. A cupola with a ceiling that is decorated and inlaid with gold surmounts the mausoleum. There are two minarets at the complex. The one on the southwest side is from the same period as the mosque. The other is contemporary in style as is the mausoleum.