President Abdel Fattah El Sisi inaugurated Al Fattah Al Aleem Mosque which accommodates 17000 persons and considered the jewel of the modern Islamic architecture and the most prominent one of the buildings inside the New Administrative Capital. It is a new achievement added to the series of the Egyptian achievements in the building and construction field. Thus, it became the biggest mosque in the Arab Region. The President witnessed the First call to prayer from its giant minaret then he performed Al Ashaa prayer accompanied by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass Abou Mazen, his Eminence Dr. Ahmed El Tayeb Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr. Aly Abdel Aal – Head of the Parliament, Dr. Moustafa Madbouli – the Prime Minister, Gen. Mohamed Zaki – Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production, a number of ministers and leaders from the Armed Forces, police and officials, Gen. Kamel El Wazeer – Head of the Engineering Authority for the Armed Forces which supervise the project and Eng. Mohsen Salah – Chairman and CEO of the Arab Contractors Company which executed the mosque's works. Then, President El Sisi inaugurated the Nativity of the Christ Cathedral in the presence of Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark Diocese. Grand Imam of Al Azhar expressed his happiness towards the inauguration of the mosque, he pointed out that it is an exceptional event to build and accomplish a mosque and a church in the same time. He thanked President El Sisi for this great achievement and Egypt has the right to be proud by this achievement. Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark Diocese said that it is unprecedented event where we witness the minaret of the mosque hugging the minaret of the cathedral. He considered this inauguration an achievement and execution for the impossible; besides it is an accomplishment of President El Sisi's promise in the beginning of 2017 to build the mosque and the cathedral in a short time. He thanked the companies, engineers, technicians, consulting offices and workers participated in these achievements; he thanked the Armed Forces and the Engineering Authority for the Armed Forces which planned and supervised the works of this giant work in a short time.
Eng. Mohsen Salah declared that the mosque is considered one the mega mosques worldwide and it is located on the New Middle Ring Road. It is built upon 106 feddans and accommodates 17000 prayers. The mosque nave 6325m2 which accommodates for 6300 prayers – 5 main entrances – 2 entrances for women– external praying area 3400m2 accommodates 3400 prayers; a typical floor for women praying on 1080m2, a basement 6325m beneath the external praying area including men praying area (1200 prayers); women praying area (300 prayers), 2 ablutions for men and the same for women with total number of 94 WCs, 2 Quraan memorization houses for boys and girls on 340m2, a library on 395m2, 5 administrative offices, a generator chamber, 2 controlling rooms for electricity, stores, conference room accommodate 40 persons. The main dome is the First dome in the Middle East executed with 33m diameter, 42m height from the mosque's ground level covered with GRC externally and GRP internally as a firefighting material, it is decorated with Islamic paintings. Metal forms were executed and carried out on a metal body with a total weight 107 ton and lifted by 24 cables, 84 fixation points with a total amount of 360 points to protect it from the earthquakes. Its installation process took 4 days. A main chandelier with 3 levels hanged on it (with varied diameter 9-12-15m). The mosque from inside includes 8 main pillars which carrying out the dome in addition to a protecting beam. Besides, 4 secondary domes, each one with 17m diameter covered with GRC externally and GRP internally. In addition to 4 minarets on the Fatimid style, each one is 95m height and reached 102m after topped with a crescent. It is equipped with steel ladders for the maintenance works, the minarets and the main dome equipped with flash and alarm for airplanes and lightning conductors.
Eng. Ahmed Abbass – AC Board Member added that the concrete pouring was by using slip form method to 70m height and the rest of the steel structure for 95m height and finished by GRC with 20 tons weight and installed by 8 bolts this engineering risk is that its size is maximum than 2:3mm. This part installed by the cranes, equipment of the company and the highly trained and qualified workers. Eng. Ahmed Abbass said that the mosque has a water tank with a capacity 3000m3 and another one for the fire fighting 3000m3, wastewater network for 2km, feeding network 2km, fire fighting network 2km and electricity network 20km. the basement equipped with a central air condition consisting of 2VRVs. The mosque from the internal includes 45 DX units which is separated units exist on the roof of the mosque. The mosque has a medium voltage power station with a distributor, 2 connecting plates, 2 switches (1600 KVA), a low voltage power station with 5 plates in addition to 70 plates inside the mosque and in the general site. The general worksite has 20 high masts with 20m height, 1500 lighting units, 5000 lighting units in the mosque and the basement in addition to the modern lighting systems, alarm, IT networks, monitoring cameras, audios and telephones. He pointed out that the mosque is surrounded by a fence with 3.3km length, 5 main gates on the Fatimid style with 6 m height, 2 gates on the Middle Road in addition to 3 gates on the fences from the North, East and South side. Besides, there is a walkway designed on the pharonic style with 406m length and 28m width for the funeral of the martyrs and the VIP, it is including 2 towers with 24 m length and 22 tombstones on each side, it is consisting of a concrete frame topped with crown and engraved Quraan verses on both sides. The mosque is equipped with a Landing field, car parking for 2650 cars, services and administrative building accommodates 60 workers for the mosque operation. The green area represents one third of the total area of the mosque which is equivalent to 120000m2. The roads represent 10% from the total area (about 45000m2) the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces was keen on using the Egyptian marble in the mosque works and the execution done by the Egyptian workers for 100%.
The execution of this giant mosque was in 15 months. The actual works started on 16/6/2017 and within 6 months only the concrete and construction works were done, the finishing works took 9 months starting from 1/4/2018 to 31/12/2018. The professors from the Engineering faculties and the experts said that the construction of such a mosque should take 7 to 9 years.
Figures which reflects the achievement size: total excavation works 15.700m3, filling is 13000m3, ordinary concrete 4300m3, reinforced concrete walls is 27.500 m3, used concrete for flooring works 23000m3, metal works 350 ton, cornices 1150ml, mosaic slabs on the surfaces and below the carpets is 8000m2, total buildings 7000m3, lime plaster 45000m2, painting 1000m2, cornices and decoration 300ml, fiber cement 2100m2, GRC 3450m2, motifs numbers 151, marble 18000m2, electric cables 80km length, 13 domes, 25 windows from CNC and 48 windows with metal frame with stained glass in the pillars.
Total of the equipment used in the project: 6 tower cranes with a height more than 100m to serve the minarets and domes, 2 cranes with a capacity of 100 ton for lifting the metal forms, 8 cranes with a capacity of 60 ton for the walls and ceils, 2 bulldozers, 9 loaders, 3 tippers, 3 mini loaders for the fast movement and handling, a main pump and a spare one, providing the reinforced concrete from 2 batching plants which belongs to the Ready Mixed Concrete Department worked for 24 hours and exist in the New Administrative Capital.