After the collapse of the minaret of the Sidi Salama Mosque, who will save Islamic heritage from neglect?

The collapse of the minaret of the historic Sidi Salama Mosque in the city of Samannoud, in the Gharbia governorate, despite its restoration more than 30 years ago, has once again highlighted the crisis surrounding the protection and maintenance of Islamic and Coptic monuments in Egypt. The incident came as no surprise to archaeologists and experts, who said it was the result of a lack of coordination between the relevant authorities, pointing out that there are seven other Islamic archaeological sites in Samannoud alone, some of which are in urgent need of restoration.

Sheikh Salama Mosque in Samannoud

The Sheikh Salama Mosque is located on a street bearing his name in the city of Samannoud. The monument dates back to the scholar Sheikh Salama bin Naziha, who came to Egypt with Amr ibn al-As and lived in the Delta. The mosque is believed to have been built during the Ottoman period in the 10th century AH/16th century AD. It has been renovated several times.

According to Ali Pasha Mubarak’s book Al-Khatat al-Tawfiqiyya, “The Sheikh Salama Mosque is located near the sea. It is said to date back to the time of the Companions, may God be pleased with them, and covers an area of more than one acre. In 1150 AH, half of it was renovated and the other half, which contained the minaret, was rebuilt. Next to this mosque is the tomb of Sheikh Salama. In 1280 AH, it was completely renovated by Sheikh Mustafa al-Najjar, and lessons were held there.”