Attarine Mosque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Attarine Mosque |
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مسجد العطارين
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Alexandria, Egypt |
 Location in Egypt
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| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | mosque |
| Date established | 641 (as mosque) |
| Completed | 370 |
The Attarine Mosque (Arabic: مسجد العطارين) is a famous building in Alexandria, Egypt. It started as a church called the Church of St. Athanasius. This church was built in 370 AD. Later, when Islam came to Egypt, the church was changed into a mosque. Today, it is known as the Attarine Mosque.
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A Building with a Long History
The Attarine Mosque has a very old and interesting past. It has seen many changes over hundreds of years.
From Ancient Temple to Church
In 370 AD, the Church of St. Athanasius was built. It was built on the spot where an even older temple once stood. This temple was used for a religion called Mithraism. The church was located in the northern part of what was then called the Canopic street.
Later, in the 7th century, monks started building small living spaces around an old church. This created a small monastery. An earthquake sadly destroyed this first monastery. But a rich person from Alexandria named Sabbas rebuilt it. He named the new monastery after his patron saint, Sabbas the Sanctified.
Becoming a Mosque
On November 8, 641 AD, the city of Alexandria came under Muslim rule. This happened after a long 14-month fight led by Amr ibn al-As. The Roman Empire gave up control of the city. After this, the church was turned into a mosque by the Muslims. It has been a mosque ever since.
Napoleon's Search for Alexander
In 1798, a famous French leader named Napoleon Bonaparte came to Egypt. His soldiers thought the Attarine Mosque might hold a big secret. They believed it was the Tomb of Alexander the Great.
A French artist named Vivant Denon drew the mosque's courtyard. His drawing showed a small, eight-sided building. Inside this building was a large stone coffin, called a sarcophagus. This sarcophagus looked a lot like what people thought Alexander's tomb might be.
However, in the early 1900s, experts realized the sarcophagus was made for an Egyptian pharaoh named Nectanebo II. This pharaoh had left Egypt long before Alexander arrived. So, the sarcophagus was empty and ready to be used. This made some people think it could have been used for Alexander's body for a time.
See Also
- Lists of mosques
- List of mosques in Africa
- List of mosques in Egypt
