Modi's Egypt Tour

Modi’s Egypt Tour Begins Tomorrow, To Visit 11th Century Al-Hakim Mosque

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit the 11th-century Al-Hakim Mosque here during his two-day visit to Egypt beginning on Saturday.
PM Modi’s visit to the mosque is scheduled as the first event on the last day of his two-day programme in Egypt’s sprawling capital Cairo.

The Prime Minister will spend nearly half an hour at the Al-Hakim Mosque– a historic and prominent mosque in Cairo named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985-1021), the 16th Fatimid caliph.

The mosque was originally built by Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah’s father, Caliph Al-‘Aziz Billah, towards the end of the 10th century, in the year 990, and was later completed by Al-Hakim in the year 1013.

The mosque is also known as Al-Anwar, meaning “the Illuminated”, similar in style to the name of the earlier Al-Azhar Mosque founded by the Fatimids. It is the second-largest mosque in the city of Cairo, and the fourth oldest.

The mosque is located in the heart of Islamic Cairo, on the east side of al-Mu’izz Street, just south of Bab al-Futuh (one of the northern city gates of Fatimid Cairo).

The Al-Hakim Mosque is a significant example of Fatimid architecture and history in Cairo. The rectangular mosque covers an area of 13,560-metre square out of which 5000 square metres is the large courtyard or sahn at the centre. The remaining area is divided into the four covered halls on each side of the mosque, with the Bayt al salat, or sanctuary area and prayer hall towards the qibla wall, being the largest at 4,000 square metres and consisting of five bays.

The mosque has two distinctive minarets on its north and west corners, which were modified by Al-Hakim himself in 1010 by adding a square salient around them. They are the oldest surviving minarets in the city. The mosque also has the distinction of being the oldest mosque in the world to have two minarets erected together at the time of its initial construction.

The mosque has eleven gates, of which the most important is the central one on the main facade, made of stone. The gate has a prominent portico with carved niches and squares on its tip, similar to the Mahdiyah Mosque in Tunisia.

The mosque also has pointed arches supported by rectangular columns in the courtyard and the prayer hall, reminiscent of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo.

The mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is an important cultural site for the Dawoodi Bohra community in Cairo. The latest renovation project was the second such initiative undertaken by the Dawoodi Bohra community after the first renovation and restoration project that was completed nearly forty years ago.

The renovations were undertaken as part of a large-scale plan by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to boost tourism to Cairo’s Islamic sites. The work was co-funded by the Dawoodi Bohra community.

Work on the mosque began in 2017 and included repairs to water damage and cracks in the walls. Wooden fixtures, including the mosque’s doors, its pulpit and the signature decorative wooden tiles that line the base of its ceilings, were bolstered.

The ornate chandeliers of the mosque, one of Cairo’s most prominent Fatimid sites, were also restored. Security cameras were installed as well as more efficient electrical wiring to service both the indoor areas and the large courtyard that the mosque is known for.

Intricate restorations were also undertaken on the mosque’s facades and marble floors.

The al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah Mosque, a nearly 1000-year-old structure in the heart of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, was reopened on the 27th of February this year following extensive renovations that took six years to complete.

PM Modi will make a State visit to Egypt on June 24 and 25.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, “It is worth mentioning here that this will be Prime Minister’s first visit to Egypt and I might also mention that this would be the first official bilateral visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Egypt since 1997.”

PM Modi during his first Egypt tour will also visit Heliopolis War Grave cemetery to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for Egypt during the First World War. (ANI)

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Egypt Tour Modi

Modi To Visit Al-Hakim Mosque, Pay Tribute To Martyred Indian Soldiers: Egypt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his first Egypt tour, will visit the 11th-century Al-Hakim mosque and will also pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who died fighting for Egypt during the First World War, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday.

The Foreign Secretary made these remarks while addressing a special briefing on Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to US and Egypt.
PM Modi will make a State visit to Egypt on June 24 and 25.

Kwatra said, “It is worth mentioning here that this will be Prime Minister’s first visit to Egypt and I might also mention that this would be the first official bilateral visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Egypt since 1997.”

He added that there have been visits in between, but they have mostly been for multilateral or plurilateral events.

Kwatra also said that PM Modi upon reaching Cairo on June 24 will first meet with the India unit, a select unit of high-level ministers that the President of Egypt had constituted after his return from India.

“Most recently, the Egyptian president had paid a state visit to India when he graced our Republic Day earlier in the year as the chief guest. At this stage, the prime Minister is expected to reach Cairo in the afternoon of June 24 where where his first interaction will be with the India unit,” the Foreign Secretary said.

He also mentioned that over the last several months since the visit of the President of Egypt, India has seen intense level of ministerial level political exchanges with Egypt.

“External Affairs Minister himself, the Defence Minister and the Minister of Environment have travelled to Egypt. We have had, similarly at least three to four ministers from the Egyptian government who have visited India. Even as we speak a ministerial-level delegation led by the chairperson of the Suisse Canal Authority is in India clearly shows you the extent of very sharp focus that both India and Egypt are placing on strengthening all aspects of their relationship,” the Foreign Secretary added.

Speaking further about PM Modi’s visit, Kwatra said after the interaction with the India unit, Prime Minister will have an interaction with the small Indian community that is there in Egypt and will likely also meet some of the prominent personalities in Egypt.

“His next day will begin with a visit to Al-Hakim mosque. It is the 11th-century mosque which was refurbished, and renovated by the Bohra community and the visit to Al-Hakim mosque will be followed by a visit to the Heliopolis War Grave cemetery to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for Egypt during the First World War,” he added.

After this Prime Minister will have an official engagement with the President of Egypt, including bilateral talks with the President of Egypt and the signing of various MoUs and agreements on that day, said Kwatra.

Recalling the recent India visit of the Grand Mufti of Egypt, he said, “Egypt has also been invited as a special guest during India’s G20 presidency.”

Kwatra also noted that PM Modi’s visit is a “very quick, reciprocal visit,” which came just within six months of Egypt President Sisi’s visit to India.

“We do expect and are confident that the visit of PM Modi to Egypt will not just ensure continuing momentum to the relationship between our two countries, but will also help it expand to new areas of trade and economic engagement between our two countries,” Kwatra said.

Prior to his Egypt visit, PM Modi will reach the United States at the invitation of President Joe Biden. (ANI)

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