Sidi Arif Mosque

Sidi Arif Mosque
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
District	Sohag
Province	Sohag Governorate
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Mosque
Year consecrated	14th century (the 8th century of the Islamic calendar)
Location
Location	Sohag, Egypt
Geographic coordinates	26°32′54″N 31°42′05″E
Architecture
Type	mosque
Style	Islamic
Completed	1968
Specifications
Capacity	1500
Length	51 m (167 ft)
Width	33 m (108 ft)
Dome(s)	1
Dome dia. (outer)	24 m (79 ft)
Minaret(s)	2
Materials	Concrete

The Sidi Arif Mosque (also known as Masjid Al-Arif Bellah, Arabic: مسجد العارف بالله; transliterated: Masjid al-Aarif bi Allah) is one of the largest mosques in Sohag Governorate. It was built for the first time at the 14th century and was reconstructed several times; the last one was in 1968[1] and being renewed in 1998 for the last time. The mosque is named after the Sufi mystic buried in it, Sidi Arif, whose real name is Ismail ibn Ali ibn Abdussami, a member of the Ashraf family of mystics.[2]

Architecture

The mosque has two minarets and the roof is crowned by a dome, with a large prayer hall with split entrances, segregated for men and women.[3] The tomb of Sidi Arif is located in a room at the end of the mosque.

Next to the mosque is the tomb of Murad Bey, the Mamluk and bey of Egypt who ruled with Ibrahim Pasha.[4]

Burials

Sufi mystics

• Ismail ibn Ali ibn Abdussami
• Ahmad ibn Zarruq[5] (not to be confused with Ahmad Zarruq the Maliki-Sufi master)

Mamluk governors

• Murad Bey Mohammed, bey of Egypt

Significance

Every year the people of Sohag visit the mosque to celebrate the birthday, or Mawlid, of the saint.[6] The mosque is also visited because of the saint's tomb.

Gallery

• 
  Inside the Sidi Arif Mosque
• 
  Dome of the Sidi Arif Mosque
• 
  Mihrab and minbar of the Sidi Arif Mosque

See also

• Lists of mosques
• List of mosques in Africa
• List of mosques in Egypt

References

1. "سوهاج ادق المعلومات عنها - بوابة الثانوية العامة المصرية".
2. الديار, جريدة (2019-02-15). "مسجد "العارف بالله" من اشهر المساجد بسوهاج | محافظات | جريدة الديار". www.eldyar.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-02.
3. "لكل اسم حكاية.. مسجد العارف بالله بسوهاج قبلة الزائرين والزاهدين في رمضان". مصر تايمز (in Arabic). 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
4. "لكل اسم حكاية.. مسجد العارف بالله بسوهاج قبلة الزائرين والزاهدين في رمضان". مصر تايمز (in Arabic). 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
5. "للمحبين طرق.. وأن المساجد لله: «العارف والصينى والأمير حسن».. فادخلوها آمنين". Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
6. "لكل اسم حكاية.. مسجد العارف بالله بسوهاج قبلة الزائرين والزاهدين في رمضان". مصر تايمز (in Arabic). 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2024-09-02.