المجمع الإسلامي (أ) بالشيخ زايد

Within the carefully planned neighbourhoods of Shaykh Zayed City on the western outskirts of Cairo, al Majmaa al Islami bi al Shaykh Zayed serves residents of this rapidly growing satellite city with a combined mosque and Islamic cultural complex. Shaykh Zayed City was founded in 1995 on the desert plateau west of Sixth of October City and named in honour of the late Shaykh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, who generously supported the early development of the new town. Today it has grown into a cosmopolitan district of gated communities, shopping malls, and international schools. Egypt's Islamic heritage is among the deepest in the world. The companion Amr ibn al As (may God be pleased with him) led the peaceful opening of Egypt during the caliphate of Umar (may God be pleased with him) and founded the old city of Fustat near modern Cairo in 641. Successive dynasties built monumental mosques across the Nile valley, and al Azhar mosque and university, established in the tenth century, became one of the greatest centres of Islamic learning in the Muslim world, attracting scholars and students from every corner of the globe for many centuries. The architecture of the new centre blends traditional Egyptian elements with modern materials. Pale limestone cladding echoes the Fatimid and Mamluk monuments of old Cairo, a central dome crowns the prayer hall, twin minarets inspired by the Mamluk style rise at either end of the main facade, and broad arcaded verandas offer shade in the fierce desert summer. Inside, calligraphic friezes praise the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), thick carpets cover the floor, and chilled air keeps worshippers comfortable through the intense afternoons. Accurate daily prayer times for al Majmaa al Islami in Shaykh Zayed City, its address, a location map, and practical visitor notes are offered on this page for residents of the district, travellers from central Cairo, and international guests staying in the western suburbs of the Egyptian capital. Shaykh Zayed City is celebrated for its Mall of Arabia, the Americana Plaza, and the cool landscaped parks scattered between its residential compounds. After Isha, worshippers here often meet friends in the courtyard to share glasses of karkade tea and warm konafa pastries prepared by community volunteers eager to extend the unhurried hospitality of the Nile valley.