Picture of Minarets of ar-Rifai mosque dwarfing the visitor (Cairo, Egypt)

Minarets of ar-Rifai mosque pointing towards the sky

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Not only an impressive mosque, but also the final resting place for Egyptian royalty and the last Iranian shah, ar-Rifai mosque overwhelms the visitor even before he enters.
Much more than just a mosque, ar-Rifai mosque was intended to become a resting place for Egyptian royalty, a nationalistic symbol of Egyptian strength, as well as a sign of a progressive, cosmopolitan Egypt. The mosque was not finished until 1912, and several architects, including the lead architect Max Herz from Austria. The architects sought to complement the adjacent structure of the Sultan Hassan, a massive building; and indeed, also ar-Rifai mosque is enormous. When you stand in the alleyway between the two buildings, you feel absolutely dwarfed, and the little space there is, forces you to turn your head almost entirely up to see the roof and the minarets. While the door to the ar-Rifai mosque is high enough, it appears as tiny compared to the entire building. After entering ar-Rifai mosque, the feeling of smallness does not leave the visitor, as the ceilings are high - which sometimes is a pity, because it is more difficult to appreciate their beauty from the carpets on which you walk.
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