The Ottoman Dynasty ruled for more than 600 years over the eastern Mediterranean. Muhammad Ali was an Ottoman Albanian commander in the Ottoman army, who rose to the rank of Pasha, and became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan with the Ottomans' temporary approval. He commissioned a mosque in memory of Tuson Pasha, Muhammad Ali’s oldest son. The design of the mosque was derived from mosque of Sultan Ahmed in Istanbul. Construction of the walls, domes and minaret had been completed by the time of Ali Pasha's death. Then, when 'Abbas Pasha I took over, he ordered to finish the work on the marble, carvings and the gilding. In addition, he added a marble construction and a copper maqsura for Ali Pasha's mausoleum.
The mosque is
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The plan of the mosque is a central dome carried on four piers and spherical pendentives, flanked by four half-domes, and four smaller domes on each corner. Also, there is a dome that separates the mihrab ceiling from the Qibla wall. The 41-meter-square interior is impressive because of its size, and it shows the amazing arrangement of mass and space like in Istanbul mosques. The main, high dome of the mosque is 52 meters high, with a diameter of 21 meters.
The grandeur of this single, large chamber is enhanced by the circle of small lamps hung in the middle of the praying area, and just above the main dome of the mosque. Other smaller lamps, many of them more modern, are hung elsewhere in the mosque, creating a spectacle of light that is grand in its own right. Within the mosque are two minbars, or pulpits. The larger one of wood is decorated with gilt ornament, and is original. It is said to be one of the largest in Egypt, incorporating significant gold in its decorations. The smaller one of alabaster was a gift from King Faruq, dating to 1939. The mihrab, or prayer niche, is made of Egyptian marble. It is rather simple, but very beautiful at the same