Mosque of Sidi Ahmad El-Badawi

---

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Badawi , a Muslim Sufi hermit , was born in Fez , Morocco in 596 AH and died in Tanta , Egypt in 675 AH . A Mameluke- styled mosque renowned for its stunning architecture was erected in his honor . This mosque was built by Abdel-Aal , the vicar of Sayed El-Badawi and a Sufi who traveled from Morocco to Egypt during the Mameluke era . Later , it was enlarged by El-Sultan El-Nasser Ben Qalawoon and further expanded by Seifeddin Qaitbey . In the modern era , the mosque was restored under the rule of Mohamed Ali and under King Fouad .
The mosque's facade built of marble shows a masterpiece of Islamic architecture . The entrance and the two Minarets of the mosque were erected in the early 1960s . It is said that the three green domes were skillfully modeled to honour the hermit and his successors: Abdel-Aal and Migahed . Next to the mosque is a library that houses great deal of masterpieces dating back to the 8th century . Next to the Mosque of El-Badawi stands the sabil (public fountain) of El-Ahmadi Mosque .
Annually , the mosque takes a more glorious appearance during the hermit's Mulid (or the festivity of his birthday) when more than two million people swarm to it .