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Founded in 642 AD in old Fustat — the very first mosque built in Egypt and on the entire African continent, and the birthplace of Islamic worship in Africa.تأسّس عام 642 للميلاد في الفسطاط القديمة — أول مسجدٍ بُني في مصر وفي القارّة الأفريقية كلّها، ومهدُ العبادة الإسلامية في أفريقيا.
In the heart of old Fustat stands a mosque of unique historic importance: the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, the first mosque ever built in Egypt — and indeed in all of Africa. Founded in 642 AD, just after the Arab conquest, it marks the very beginnings of Islam in the country and on the continent. Though rebuilt many times over the centuries, it has remained a living, active place of worship on the same hallowed ground for nearly 1,400 years.
في قلب الفسطاط القديمة يقف مسجدٌ ذو أهمّية تاريخية فريدة: جامع عمرو بن العاص، أول مسجدٍ بُني في مصر — بل في أفريقيا كلّها. تأسّس عام 642 للميلاد، عقب الفتح العربي مباشرة، ويؤرّخ لبدايات الإسلام في البلاد والقارّة. ورغم إعادة بنائه مرّاتٍ كثيرة عبر القرون، ظلّ مكانَ عبادةٍ حيًّا عامرًا على البقعة المقدّسة نفسها قرابة 1400 عام.
Africa’s First Mosque · أول مسجدٍ في أفريقيا
Where Islam in Egypt began.حيث بدأ الإسلام في مصر.
The mosque was founded in 642 AD by the Arab general Amr ibn al-As, who had just conquered Egypt and established the new capital of Fustat. Built at the heart of that first Islamic city, it holds the distinction of being the oldest mosque in Egypt and on the entire African continent — the place where the call to prayer was first raised in this land. As such, it is one of the most historically significant sites in the whole story of Islam in Africa.
Rebuilt Through the Ages · أُعيد بناؤه عبر العصور
New stones on sacred ground.حجارةٌ جديدة على أرضٍ مقدّسة.
The first mosque was a simple structure, and over the centuries it was enlarged and rebuilt many times by successive rulers, growing far larger and grander than the original. As a result, little if anything of the 7th-century building survives, and what stands today dates largely from much later periods. Yet it remains on the same sacred site, an unbroken thread of worship across the ages, with a vast, peaceful prayer hall supported by rows of columns.
A Living Place of Worship · مكان عبادةٍ حيّ
Sacred, and still in use.مقدّسٌ وما زال عامرًا.
Far from being a mere relic, the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As remains a busy, important active mosque, especially revered during the holy month of Ramadan. It stands in Old Cairo, close to the Coptic quarter with its ancient churches, including the Hanging Church and the Fortress of Babylon — making this small area a remarkable meeting place of Egypt's great religious traditions.
Quick Facts · حقائق سريعة
Sources include standard histories of Cairo. Some dates are approximate.