Al-Mursi Abul-'Abbas was a Sufi saint from 13th-century Muslim Spain who migrated to Egyptian Alexandria in the last years of his life. His full name was Shahab al-Din Abu-l-'Abbas Ahmad ibn 'Umarom ibn Muhammad al-Ansari al-Mursi. Al-Mursi Abul-'Abbas, as he is commonly called, is one of the four particularly revered saints of Egypt. The respect and popularity of his labours and deeds in Egypt were so great that "Mursi" became a household name in the country.
The site where the modern mosque is located has a long history. It was first the site of the tomb of Al-Mursi Abul-Abbas, the tomb being in a small building near Alexandria's Eastern Harbour. In 1307, one of the wealthiest merchants in Alexandria visited the saint's tomb and ordered his men to build a mausoleum and dome over the tomb. A fine mosque with a small square minaret was erected at his expense, and the salary of the imam was paid. The mosque, with the coffin on the right, became a pilgrimage site for many Muslims from Egypt and Morocco when travelling to or from Mecca.
The mosque, which had never been repaired, fell into a poor state of repair and was abandoned by the end of the 15th century. The next ruler of Alexandria ordered the religious building rebuilt and erected himself a mausoleum next to Abul-Abbasa, where he was buried after his death. The mosque underwent its next renovation in 1596 after the visit of Sheikh Abu Al-Abbas El-Kurzema, who also built a tomb there.
By 1863, the current mosque had fallen into a state of disrepair. One of Alexandria's famous Islamic architects restored the building and ordered the demolition of some of the surrounding houses to make more space.
Several decades later, in the 40s and 50s of the 20th century, the building was again extensively reconstructed, with the walls raised 23 metres in height and finished with artificial stone. The minaret located on the south side was made 73 metres high, it consists of four sections. The first section is about 15 metres high and is square in shape, the second section is a four-metre octagon. The third level is 15 metres high, it is a hexagon, and the topmost level is rounded, its height is 3.25 metres, the top is covered with brass and decorated with a crescent moon.
The mosque has two main entrances. The north door opens onto the square and leads to the street adjacent to the royal palace. The east door also faces the square. The staircases to them are made of Egyptian granite. The main interior of the mosque is an octagon with sides 22 metres long, finished with artificial stone and mosaic panels. The ceiling, supported by sixteen columns of Italian granite united in arches, is 17 metres high. All the upper vaults are decorated with traditional arabesque paintings. The floors are white marble and sunlight penetrates through windows in the outer domes. The doors, the 6.5 metre high minbar, window frames and handrails are carved from precious wood and walnut. The pillars near the entrance to the mosque are decorated with Kufic script.
The mosque is now run by the government's Islamic Affairs Foundation.
