The history of the Al Mursi Abu Al-Abbas mosque goes back almost seven centuries. Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi was a famous teacher and Sufi saint who died in 1287. He was buried near the Eastern Harbour, and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage for many Muslims from as far as Morocco on their way to Mecca. In 1307, a wealthy merchant of Alexandria funded the construction of a mausoleum and a small mosque. Over the centuries, the humble building grew ever more prominent as later rulers decided to add their tombs next to Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi’s final resting place. The building was repeatedly renovated and acquired its current elaborate appearance in 1929-1945 according to the plans of two Italian architects, Eugenio Valzania (1880-1930) and Mario Rossi (1897-1961), who drew inspiration from the traditional architecture of old Cairo.