Al Banat mosque, landmark of old Cairo
Egypt, History, 12/11/2000

This splendid mosque is situated at Port Said Street near Midan Bab Al Khalq Street.

The famous explorer Abdul-Ghani Al-Nabulsy tells us an interesting story behind giving this name to the Mosque. Al Nabulsy who was on a visit to Egypt in 1105 A.H. (1693 A.D.) said the Egyptians gave this name to the Mosque because unmarried girls who are worried of celibacy can go to the Mosque during the Friday prayers and pass across the first queues of worshippers after the first prostration. After leaving the Mosque their hopes for a spouse were usually fulfilled.

Though this story is taken by many historians as a sheer fair tale or legend not based on concrete facts the name is still holding until our present time.

This Mosque is also called the Fakhereya school mosque after Prince Fakhr Al-Din Abdul-Ghani who built the Mosque and was buried in it.

Prince Fakhr Al-Din who was born in Egypt in 784 A.H. (1382 A.D.) was promoted to the very important post of Minister by Sultan Al-Mo-ayed Sheikh.

The Mosque was not only used as a place for prayers and worshipping but was also the scene of religion teaching, where lessons of Sufism (mysticism) Islamic tents and jurisprudence were available to the worshippers.

In the course of time the Minaret of the school collapsed and the marble walls were stolen after the death of its founder Prince Fakhr Al Din. His son Prince Zein Allah Abdul-Kader renovated the school. He was also buried by his father in the same tomb.

Previous Stories:
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