Spectacular to anyone who has not been to Istanbul, the Muhammad Ali Mosque from the mid-19th century is really a reproduction. It was built according to Turkish ideals, especially the Blue Mosque, which originally was a church. Cairo's version was started to be built in 1824, but not finished until 1865. This mosque is one of the most visible buildings on the Cairene skyline, set as it is on the foot of the Muqattam Hills, and as a dominating part of the Citadel. Its architect was the Greek Jacob Bushnaq of Istanbul. He succeeded in exterior, but the interior is generally considered to be tacky and of inferior quality. Yet, it is colourful like a Fabergé egg, and the extent of the dome's interior is quite awesome. The courtyard is architecturally more successful, with its tall arcade, each vault crowned with a dome on top of the roof. The floor is marbeled, and the ablutions fountain is among the prettiest of any mosque anywhere. Look out for the clock tower. The clock was given to Muhammad Ali by France's Louis Philippe as a return gift for the obelisk now in Place de la Concorde in Paris. But it has never worked!
