Cairo -

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi inspected this morning, Wednesday, the comprehensive development and renovation work of Al-Hussein Mosque in the heart of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, which lasted for nearly a month.

The developments, which cost approximately 150 million pounds, included the restoration and renovation of most parts of the mosque, including the installation of a new shrine for the mausoleum, and the renewal of the outer courtyard, a process that was criticized for not conforming to the rules of restoring ancient buildings.

The president participated in the opening, the Sultan of the Bohra sect in India, Mufaddal Seif al-Din, accompanied by the princes of his brothers and sons, including Prince Jawhar Izz al-Din, Prince Jaafar al-Sadiq Saif al-Din, as well as the representative of the Sultan in Egypt, Muhammad Hassan.

mutual thanks

The Egyptian president expressed his appreciation to the Sultan of the Bohra sect for his efforts in developing the tombs of the Ahl al-Bayt in Egypt, while the latter, in turn, thanked Sisi for his invitation to participate in the inauguration of the development work of the Al-Hussein Mosque, and thanked him for everything he does in developing and serving the tombs of the Ahl al-Bayt, and valued all the efforts The various state agencies, especially the efforts of the Ministry of Endowments and the Armed Forces, to achieve these noble purposes.

During the opening and after his speech, Sisi and the Sultan of Bohra toured a room that included the belongings of the seal of news Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, including part of the Prophet’s shirt made of linen, in addition to a lantern with 4 strands of his hair inside, and the stick with which he entered Mecca as a light.

It also included the kohled possessions of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, the sword that Saad bin Ubadah gave him and he was leaning on when ascending to the pulpit, and a Quran written by Ali bin Abi Talib, may God honor his face in Kufic calligraphy on deer skin, and weighs more than 4 kilograms.

More than once, the Egyptian president praised the efforts made by the Bohra sect to restore ancient mosques in Egypt, noting the measures to create an attractive climate for investments, in light of the Bohra sect’s involvement in trade and its interest in investing in Egypt, especially in the field of food products and paper and marble industries.

Since assuming power in 2014, Sisi has met the Sultan of the Bohra sect 5 times, and Seif El-Din's visit to Cairo in 2018 witnessed the announcement of the Egyptian presidency that Sultan El-Bohra made a donation to the "Long Live Egypt" fund, estimated at 10 million pounds (about 600 thousand dollars), which is the second donation made by Seif. Debt to the fund after a similar donation made on its first visit in 2014.

Who is the Sultan of Bohra?

The word "Vehru" comes from the word "Vehru", which means "trader" or "merchant" in the Indian Gujarati language.

Sultan al-Bohra heads one of the Ismaili Shiite sects that believes in the imamate of Ahmad al-Musta’li al-Fatimi, and rejects the imamate of his brother Nizar, the imam of the “Nizari” sect (the Assassins).

Al-Musta’li’s supporters ruled Egypt until Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi defeated them in the Taoist era of the Fatimid state.

But the Musta’li did not turn their page, but spread in many countries of the world, and formed an economic power through their work in the trade of paper, marble and food products.

The Bohras were famous for their great commitment to their sect and the traditions emanating from it. They cling to their special dress that attracts attention, and they have special places of worship, and they avoid performing prayers in the rest of the mosques for Muslims.

Historians confirm that the Bohras do not allow anyone to embrace their sect unless it is of Bahri origin, and they believe in the infallibility of their imams.

They also believe in the necessity of offering prayers and holidays a day or two before, and they work tirelessly to revive the graves and mosques related to the Fatimids.

Sultan Mufaddal Saif al-Din is the 53rd absolute da’i from the series of divorced preachers of the Fatimids.

The title of "da'i" is dedicated to the leader who governs the sect, and is considered the worldly representative of the imam and takes over the imam's religious representative.

Mosque restoration

According to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk, the Bohras are closely linked to Egypt. They have a clear role in the restoration of mosques belonging to the era of the Fatimid state, such as the Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah Mosque on Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Al-Fatimi Street and the Sayeda Nafisa Mosque. They also frequent the Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah Mosque in Al-Muizz Street.

The newspaper pointed out that the beginning of their official appearance in Egypt was during the era of the late President Anwar Sadat, who allowed them to own property and reside in Egypt, and in return they worked on the restoration and restoration of some historical mosques, the most famous of which is the Mosque of Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, which is considered one of the evidence of the Fatimid era, and to it he performs the pilgrimage Bohra daily, and they cling to it as a shrine for them to hold their religious ceremonies.

According to Egyptian newspapers, the Bohras in Egypt celebrate the birth of their leader Muhammad Burhan Al-Din Sultan on March 11 of each year, and the celebrations take place over a whole week inside the Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah and Al-Aqmar mosques, and at the time of the celebration crowded Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah mosque after dawn prayers in Bohra wearing their uniforms Distinguished.

Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah Mosque is located in the vicinity of Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Fatimid Street, and the secret of their adherence to this mosque is related to its being the greatest witness to the Fatimid state, and to their claim of the emergence of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah once again.

In this context, Ahmed Sedky, urban management expert and heritage management consultant, says that all the Fatimid mosques were restored by Bohra, adding that the restoration they are doing in the archaeological monuments obliterates everything that is not Fatimid, that is, obliterating what came after the Fatimid era from other civilizations, Stressing that what they are doing is a crime, according to his description.

In previous statements to the Egyptian “Sada Al-Balad” website, Sidqi said that the Bohras are working to obliterate any of those who followed them because in their eyes they are a usurper, so they obliterate the features of a certain period in the restoration, and shed light on the Fatimid period only, indicating that they have a doctrine, which is waiting for the imam or the pole The lost, that is, the ruler himself, according to their legends.

Objections to development

The development work of the historic Al-Hussein Mosque witnessed a number of criticisms, including the use of paints to paint the dome of the mosque and the adjacent minaret, blurring some of its windows, as well as passing a ventilation network for cooling devices. Development".

In a statement attached to a picture of the dome and minaret, posted on the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate’s Facebook page, the Captain of Engineers Tariq Al-Nabawy assigned the Architectural Division of the General Syndicate of Engineers headed by Dr. Walaa Nour to review the restoration work that took place in the Al-Hussein Mosque during the last period.

Al-Nabrawi affirmed, "A committee will be formed from the Architectural Division, comprising an elite of experts in a number of engineering disciplines, after the engineering public opinion made some observations regarding the ongoing restoration work in the mosque."

The Syndicate of Engineers added that the committee's mission will be to study the incident in a scientific manner and approach to find out the technical aspects of the restoration work, in preparation for issuing a comprehensive report and submitting it to the concerned authorities.