The Mohammed Ali Mosque, the main focus of our visit, was built (1830-1848) by Muhammad Ali Pasha, technically an Ottoman viceroy, but in reality a very independent king of Egypt. He established Egypt's final dynasty, one that lasted until 1953.

The inside of the mosque was beautiful, especially the elaborate, mosaic-covered ceiling. Almost the entire floor was covered with oriental carpets. We were asked to remove our shoes before walking on them because, as Salah pointed out, his forehead would be touching the carpet when he prayed there.

During our tour of the mosque's interior, Salah spoke to our group at length about the Islamic religion, answering some very direct questions about Muslims and terrorism. Then we had time to explore the mosque and the grounds of the Citadel on our own before the bus left at 10:00.