Islamic heritage · Damietta
Amr ibn al-As Mosque, Damietta
One of Egypt's oldest mosques and the best known in Damietta, built after the Arab conquest and set with Kufic inscriptions and Roman columns.
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The story
The Amr ibn al-As Mosque in Damietta, also known as the Al-Fateh Mosque and the Abu'l-Ma'ati Mosque, is the second mosque built in Egypt according to local sources, and is among the oldest in Damietta. It was founded after the city's conquest, around 21 AH (about 642 CE), on the model of the Amr ibn al-As Mosque in Fustat, with Kufic inscriptions and columns dating to the Roman era. Its construction is attributed to the Companion Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad during the time of Amr ibn al-As. Sources report that it was temporarily a cathedral of the Holy Virgin during the Crusader occupation of Damietta. It was restored between 2004 and 2009 and reopened for worship.
Good to know
- It is the second mosque built in Egypt, according to local sources.
- It was founded around 21 AH (about 642 CE) on the model of the Amr ibn al-As Mosque in Fustat.
- It was reopened after restoration in 2009.