| Attarine Mosque | |
|---|---|
مسجد العطارين | |
 View of the Attarine Mosque from the similarly named street, giving a good view of the minaret | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Alexandria,Egypt |
  Egypt | |
| Geographic coordinates | 31°11′42″N29°53′52″E / 31.1949°N 29.8979°E /31.1949; 29.8979 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | mosque |
| Style | Ottoman,Mamluk |
| Date established | 370 (as church), 641 (as mosque) |
| Completed | 370 (church), 1912 (mosque) |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Shrine(s) | 1 |
| Former church, then mosque, contained the sarcophagus ofNectanebo II | |
TheAttarine Mosque (Arabic:مسجد العطارين), also known as theAl-Juyushi Mosque (Arabic:الجامع الجيوشى) is a historic mosque located inAlexandria, Egypt. It was built on the site of a former church dedicated toAthanasius of Alexandria which was later dedicated toSaint Sabbas.[1] The present structure of the mosque dates back to the early 20th century, and much of its original foundation has been lost, save for an inscription on a stone which commemoratesBadr al-Jamali, one of the renovators of the mosque.[2]
In370 AD Saint Athanasius has consecrated the Church of Bendideion (Ancient Greek:Βενδιδείων) on the site of the former temple ofBendis, in the northern part of theCanopic street.[3] In the7th century, monks began building cells around an ancient church, laying the foundation for a monastery in the area. This initial monastery was destroyed by an earthquake, and was later rebuilt by a wealthy man, who dedicated it toSaint Sabbas the Sanctified.[4]
On November 8, 641 AD, Alexandria fell into Muslim control by theRashidun Caliph,Umar after a 14-month siege under the leadership ofAmr ibn al-As when theByzantine Empire surrendered the city to the Muslims. The church was converted into a mosque. Over time, the mosque was abandoned and became ruined. During theFatimid era, the mosque was fully restored under the guidance of the Fatimid vizierBadr al-Jamali who funded the restoration using taxes imposed on the people of Alexandria.[5] During the reign ofMamluk SultanAl-Nasir Muhammad, the mosque was used as a congregational mosque, and the Friday prayers were performed there. But after his death, the mosque became neglected until the rule ofKhediveAbbas II of Egypt who ordered his men to plan a restoration. The mosque was fully rebuilt from the ground up, and such a structure remains until this day.[6]
The plan of the Attarine Mosque is rectangular in shape.[7] The mosque has two floors, the one on ground level is for men. In the middle of the courtyard are four stone pillars, which are united with two columns made of marble.[7] The mosque has a skylight with four plaster window openings on each side. Below the ceiling of the middle part is inscribed calligraphy of several verses fromSurah al-Fatihah.[7] The southern part of the mosque has several shops incorporated into it, and proceeds from the shops are used to fund the mosque's repairs.[7] The mosque has a single minaret made from brick.[8]
In the eastern part of the mosque, accessible from the eastern entrance, is a small mausoleum dedicated to a local patron saint,Muhammad ibn Sulayman, who is the grandson of the famed military commander,Khalid ibn al-Walid. The construction of the mausoleum dates back to the reign of Khedive Abbas II.[9]
During the Napoleonic rule of Egypt, a stone sarcophagus was found in the courtyard of the mosque.[8] It was later discovered that the sarcophagus was that ofNectanebo II, the last native EgyptianPharaoh.[10] He is not buried inside there as he had already fled from the Persians before their conquest of Egypt. During Islamic rule, it was used as a water basin for ablution, and twelve holes were drilled into it which functioned as draining holes.[11] It now resides in theBritish Museum, where it has been since 1802.[12]
