Muhammad Ali Pasha founded the mosque inside the Cairo Citadel in 1830. Coste's neo-Mamluk design was rejected, and construction restarted in 1832. Decoration was finished in 1857 under Sa'id Pasha. The article says the designer is unknown and probably Greek or Armenian, while the Cairo Citadel article credits Yusuf Bushnak. The form is entirely Ottoman, following the Şehzade and Sultan Ahmed mosques in Istanbul, with European-influenced decoration.
The mosque is mainly limestone, with alabaster on the lower walls and courtyard. The prayer hall is nearly square, 148 by 151 feet (45 by 46 m), under a central dome 69 feet (21 m) across and about 171 feet (52 m) high. Two minarets exceed 262 feet (80 m). The courtyard is 180 by 187 feet (55 by 57 m).
The dome was rebuilt from 1935. An iron clock tower, a gift from Louis Philippe around 1846, stands on the courtyard wall. Visitors usually enter through the northeastern gate.
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