CAIRO, March 20 (MENA) - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi performed Fajr (dawn) prayers at the Sayyida Nafisa Mosque which were followed by the official reopening of the site after it underwent a comprehensive two-phase renovation.

The ceremony was attended by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El Tayeb, Egypt’s Mufti Nazir Ayyad, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Awqaf Minister Osama el Azhari, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber; along with a large number of ministers and senior state officials.

After the reopening ceremony, President Sisi made a point to greet and shake hands with those present before departing from the mosque.

The renovation process did not affect the mosque’s ability to receive visitors, as the Sayyida Nafisa shrine remained open to worshippers throughout the renovation operation. Prayers, including the Taraweeh prayer, were held in the mosque’s external courtyard during this period.

This renovation is part of President Sisi’s directives to restore and renovate the shrines and mausoleums of the Prophet’s family, particularly the shrines of Sayyida Nafisa, Sayyida Zainab, and Sayyidna Al-Hussein. The restoration work covers the interior halls of the mosques and their architectural decorations, aligning with the historical and spiritual character of the shrines and mausoleums.

In parallel, there has been a comprehensive upgrade of the surrounding services and facilities, including roads, squares, and entrances, integrating these efforts with the state’s broader initiative to develop Cairo’s Fatimid and historic sites.

Sayyida Nafisa possesses a special place in the hearts of Egyptians. As a noble scholar and descendant of the Prophet’s family, she loved Egypt and its people—and in return, Egyptians loved her.

Sayyida Nafisa is the great granddaughter of Hasan, the older of the Prophet Muhammad's two grandsons. She was the wife of Ishaq al-Mutamin, the son of the sixth Shii imam, Jafar al-Sadiq. She emigrated with him from the Hejaz to Egypt and settled in Fustat (Old Cairo). She was famous for her piety and scholarship. She taught hadith to the jurist Imam al-Shafii and had a great reputation for possessing barakah (blessings from God) and performing miracles. Traditionally she is considered among the city's patron saints. Her shrine is located in Cairo's Southern Cemetery. It is said that she built it herself and read the Quran there long before her death. The shrine's prominence dates to the Fatimid period, and the structure has been repeatedly embellished and rebuilt. The present mosque dates to 1897.
(MENA)
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