Renovation work at historic Cairo mosque angers architects

Several Egyptian architects believe that the renovation project of Al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo’s historic district has ruined the area’s heritage and architectural aspect.
A man walks in the vicinity of the closed Al-Hussein Mosque, after the country's Muslim religious authorities decided to put the Friday prayers on hold in order to avoid gatherings and the spread of the coronavirus, Cairo, Egypt, March 20, 2020.
A man walks in the vicinity of the closed Al-Hussein Mosque, after the country's Muslim religious authorities decided to put the Friday prayers on hold in order to avoid gatherings and the spread of the coronavirus, Cairo, Egypt, March 20, 2020. - Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
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A correspondent in Egypt

Egyptian authorities reopened April 2 the historic Al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo after conducting major internal and external renovation works to the mosque and the area surrounding it. 

Egypt’s Minister of Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa had issued a decision March 12 to close the mosque to carry out renovation works, sparking controversy among citizens who want to pray at the mosque, architects and those interested in architectural heritage who deemed the work as damaging the mosque’s historical aspect. 

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