Mosque · Modern · 1912
Royal burials in Mamluk-inspired architecture.
Cairo
A mosque with royal burials beside Sultan Hassan, offering a comparison between Mamluk architecture and its later revival.
Get to know this place
Mosque · Modern · Built 1912
Al-Rifai and neighbouring Sultan Hassan may look like buildings of one age, but centuries separate them. Commissioned under Khushyar Hanim, Khedive Ismail’s mother, construction began in 1869 and the mosque opened in 1912. Its design revived Mamluk forms for a mosque and royal burial place.
Behind the monumental facade are prayer spaces and burial chambers containing members of Muhammad Ali’s dynasty, as well as Iran’s last shah. Tall columns, marble and ornament express the ambitions of a comparatively modern building deliberately placed in conversation with its medieval neighbour.
Details worth pausing for
Prayer hall
Accessible burials
Stone details
Sultan Hassan setting
Hours, prices and practical details
Prices in EGP and subject to change. Confirm with the venue before visiting.
Visits pause during prayer times, so avoid Friday noon prayers.
Tips and things to know
Visit both mosques for comparison and confirm accessible chambers.
Good to know
Address and directions
Salah al-Din Square, beside Sultan Hassan Mosque, Cairo
Nearest landmark: Al-Khalifa
The best route depends on your starting point. Navigate to Salah al-Din Square, beside Sultan Hassan Mosque, Cairo; for Historic Cairo sites, expect to walk the final part through narrow streets.
Get directions ↗The places closest to Al-Rifai Mosque, to make a day of it.
Sultan Hassan Mosque and MadrasaFour iwans around an open courtyard.100 m · about 1 min on foot
Amir Taz PalaceA palace courtyard with a present-day cultural role.450 m · about 6 min on foot
Amir Khayrbak ComplexWhere Mamluk Cairo meets a new political age.600 m · about 8 min on foot
Distances and times are estimates from where each place sits on the map; the actual route may differ.
Stops close to each other, in an order we tried. Follow it as it is, or make it your own.
Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0
A suggested route · Architecture
A day among Cairo’s grandest mosques: start with the Citadel’s view over the city, descend to Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai, and continue to the vast courtyard of Ibn Tulun and the Gayer-Anderson house.
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