Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities held a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the completion of multi-year renovations to the grand 14th-century mosque of Altunbugha al-Maridani in Historic Cairo.
Al-Maridani, chief of police and married to a daughter of the powerful Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Mohamed, built the mosque in 1338-40 AD on al-Darb al-Ahmar street, a thoroughfare connecting Cairo's Citadel to the walled city's southern gate.
The mosque's main entrance is decorated with ornate inscriptions and fine marble. Its columns were salvaged from older buildings during construction.
Historic mosque restoration completed
The mosque's exterior and minaret were renovated in the first phase, which began in 2018 and was completed in 2021. The second phase, which lasted 18 months, focused on the interior. The European Union and the Aga Khan Foundation helped fund the project.
The mosque had been heavily renovated between 1895 and 1903.
Egyptian, EU, and foundation officials, including the foundation's director and the deputy governor of Cairo, attended Tuesday's event.
It was the first such event since Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the new director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, was appointed in March.