Sidi Gaber Mosque, Alexandria

Sidi Gaber Mosque is closely tied to the memory of Sheikh Gaber Al-Ansari, a Sufi figure traditionally said to have lived to the age of 90. He spent his later years teaching and meditating in Dahiyat Al-Raml, or “the Sand Suburb.” In the 13th century, this was a barren coastal outpost beyond the medieval city walls, far from the dense urban setting seen today.

The present mosque dates from a mid-20th-century rebuilding completed in 1955. Its square layout centres on a covered courtyard, with porticos arranged around the prayer space. A second-storey women’s gallery helped save space, while upper windows bring in light. Older photographs show greenery and open ground around the mosque before postwar growth enclosed it.

The mosque also shaped the identity of the surrounding district. A nearby railway station took its name from the mosque, making Sidi Gaber a familiar arrival point. During the 2011 revolution, the district was also seen by some activists as a neutral space for public discussion.