PM Modi Visits Heliopolis War Cemetery, Al-Hakim Mosque in Egypt's Cairo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on his first state trip to Egypt, visited Cairo's historic Al-Hakim Mosque, restored with the help of India's Dawoodi Bohra community.

The Mosque has been restored with the help of India's Dawoodi Bohra community, the Egyptian government's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said. The latest restoration was completed about three months ago.

PM Modi also visited the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Egypt's Cairo. He paid tribute to the Indian soldiers who participated and made supreme sacrifices during the First World War.

The historic Mosque has been named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the 16th Fatimid caliph and is an important religious and cultural site for the Dawoodi Bohra community.

The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims are a sect of followers of Islam who adhere to the Fatimi Ismaili Tayyibi school of thought. They are known to have originated from Egypt and later shifted to Yemen, before establishing a presence in India in the 11th century.

PM Modi has a long-standing and warm relationship with the Dawoodi Bohras even before he became Prime Minister.