Sultan bin Ahmed tours the Islamic Cultural Centre in Cairo

August 17, 2025 / 10:52 PM

Sharjah24: On Sunday morning, His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, paid a visit to Egypt’s Islamic Cultural Centre located in the New Administrative Capital. During the visit, His Highness was received by Dr Osama Al Sayed Al Azhari, the Egyptian Minister of Endowments, along with Adnan Fangari, the Minister of Justice, and Khaled Abbas, the Chairman of the Administrative Capital for Urban Development Company.

His Highness expressed gratitude for the warm welcome, commending the Center’s groundbreaking services that showcase Egypt's significant commitment to Islamic culture. His Highness highlighted the country’s leading role in promoting Islamic values and principles, which play a vital part in elevating the status of the true religion on both regional and international stages.

His Highness expressed admiration for the Centre's designs, highlighting how they beautifully blend cultural heritage with modern architectural ideas. His Highness also praised the facilities available at the centre, which create a welcoming space for serving Islam and its followers. His Highness noted that the centre plays a crucial role in promoting positive values and enhancing the cultural significance of mosques.

His Highness stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the government area, which offers a stunning view and is home to important buildings, including the presidential palace and other government offices. His Highness listened as people explained the special design of this central area, which blends modern Islamic architecture with traditional Egyptian styles, including elements from the historic Mamluk period. This area also features the Masjid Misr, situated within lovely gardens and adjacent to cultural and service buildings.

His Highness then visited the Quran House, situated beneath the courtyard of the Masjid Misr. While there, His Highness learned about the special room dedicated to Quran reciters. This room showcases the personal items and stories of notable Quran reciters from the country, including Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al Hosary, Sheikh Taha Al Fashni, and Sheikh Mustafa Ismail.

His Highness explored the beautifully adorned corridors featuring Quranic verses, which led him to the Quran halls. Each of the 30 rooms in the halls is dedicated to a specific part of the Holy Quran, with walls intricately carved to showcase complete sections of the text. These rooms are also equipped with listening devices designed to facilitate the memorization of the Holy Quran. His Highness examined the centre's comprehensive layout, admired the aesthetic designs, and appreciated the murals inscribed with Quranic verses. His Highness also took note of the centre’s collection of notable historical Qurans and religious artifacts.

His Highness also paid a visit to Masjid Misr, the largest mosque in the country and the third-largest in the world. It can hold up to 12,000 worshippers inside, but when considering the entire area, it can accommodate around 137,000 people. The mosque is renowned for its stunning architectural design, featuring two tall minarets that rise 148 meters into the sky, and a main dome that measures 29.5 meters in diameter and weighs an impressive 500 tons. There are also 20 smaller domes throughout the building. Additionally, the wooden pulpit in the mosque holds the title for the largest of its kind in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.