The building is located directly north-east of the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, which dates back to mid-14th century CE (circa 1361 CE). The al-Rifa'i mosque was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older complex of Sultan Hassan as part of a vast campaign by the 19th century CE rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city.

circa 1912 CE

Fatimid Period
During the Fatimid period in Egypt, circa the twelfth century CE, the earliest structure on the present site was a modest mosque known as the al-Dakhirah Mosque. It served the local community for generations before undergoing a significant transformation when Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa‘i, a prominent Sufi figure and grandson of Ahmad al-Rifa‘i, was interred there. Following his burial, the mosque gradually evolved into a zawiya for the Rifa‘i Sufi order. By the mid-thirteenth century CE, this zawiya was known as the al-Bayda Zawiya. It housed not only the tomb of Ali Abu Shubbak but also that of Yahya al-Ansari, another Sufi mystic who was highly revered among the local spiritual circles.

Khedival Period (Muhammad Ali Dynasty)
By the nineteenth century CE, during the Khedival period under the Muhammad Ali dynasty, the al-Bayda Zawiya had become an established center of devotion. Between circa 1869 and 1912 CE, it was rebuilt on a monumental scale to create what is now known as the al-Rifa‘i Mosque. This extensive reconstruction was commissioned by Hoshiyar Qadin, mother of Khedive Isma‘il Pasha (who reigned from 1863 to 1879 CE), with the specific aim of replacing the old zawiya with a grand structure that could also serve as the royal burial site for the Khedival family. Except for the tombs of Ali Abu Shubbak and Yahya al-Ansari, most of the original zawiya was demolished to make way for this larger complex, which was designed to echo Mamluk architecture.

Modern Period
The original architect, Hussein Fahmi Pasha, was a distant cousin of the ruling family established by Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1805 CE. However, after Hussein Fahmi Pasha’s death and the abdication of Khedive Isma‘il Pasha in 1880 CE, work on the mosque was halted. Hoshiyar Qadin passed away in 1885 CE, and the project remained dormant until circa 1905 CE, when Khedive Abbas II revived construction. Supervised by the Hungarian-born Max Herz — then head of the Committee for the Conservation of the Monuments of Cairo — the mosque was finally completed by 1912 CE. Under Herz’s careful direction, the structure successfully combined modern engineering with traditional styles inspired by Mamluk precedents, creating one of the most distinctive and historically rich monuments in modern Cairo.

circa 1912 CE

The al-Rifa‘i Mosque was conceived in a Neo-Mamluk style, an architectural mode that had gained considerable prominence in Cairo at the time and which consciously evoked the forms and ornamentation of earlier Mamluk monuments. In preparing the design, the architects sought to rival the scale and monumental character of the adjacent Sultan Hassan Mosque, though they encountered structural and stylistic challenges that drew the scrutiny of contemporary archaeologists. These issues were ultimately addressed under the guidance of Max Herz, whose supervision ensured the cohesion and historical integrity of the project.

The mosque encompasses a total interior area of approximately 6,500 square meters, with 1,767 square meters allocated for prayer, while the remaining space accommodates the zawiya shrine and the royal mausoleum. Its twin minarets rise from circular bases, echoing the silhouette of those at Sultan Hassan. The entrances, monumental in scale, are framed by columns of stone and marble with intricately carved Arabic capitals. The lintels are adorned with marble, and the arches crowning the doorways are polished and gilded, imparting a sense of grandeur and solemnity.

On the western side of the mosque is the primary access to the royal mausoleum, framed by columns with ornately carved marble bases. Within this chamber, toward its western corner, lies the marble-clad tomb of King Fuad I of Egypt. Adjacent to it is the resting place of his mother, Ferial Qadin. Beyond this area, a door leads into a domed chamber containing the wooden-zarih-enclosed tomb of Sheikh Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa‘i. Another smaller entry between the two front portals provides access to the shrine of Yahya al-Ansari, completing the ensemble of commemorative spaces that reflect the mosque’s dual character as both a center of worship and a dynastic funerary complex.

circa 1912 CE

The mosque is distinguished as the burial place of Ali Abu Shubbak al-Rifa‘i, a revered figure of the Rifa‘i Sufi order and regarded as one of the Ahl al-Bayt, which renders the site an important center of pilgrimage. The royal mausoleum accommodates numerous members of Egypt’s ruling family, most prominently Hoshiyar Qadin and her son, Khedive Isma‘il Pasha. Other notable interments include Sultan Hussein Kamel, Sultan and King Fuad I, and King Farouk. Khedive Tewfik and Khedive Abbas II Hilmi, by contrast, were laid to rest in Qubbat Afandina, a separate royal mausoleum constructed in 1894 in Cairo’s Eastern Cemetery, alongside other prominent members of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.

The mosque also temporarily housed the remains of Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran, who had died in exile in the Union of South Africa in 1944. His body was interred at the al-Rifa‘i Mosque before being repatriated to Iran after the Second World War. Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had died in Cairo in 1980 CE, was also laid to rest in this burial complex.