It was built in 642 AD from palm tree trunks and fronds and was the first mosque to be built in Egypt and the whole of Africa. The location of the mosque was determined by the general of the Muslim army Amr Ibn Al-‘As, who pitched his tent on this very spot during the conquest of the country. The capital of Islamic Egypt, Al-Fustat, was then built around this site. The mosque is composed of about 200 pillars coming from different places, and the wide and quiet spaces offer a refuge from the hustle and bustle of Cairo. The Mosque of Amr Ibn Al ‘As is part of what is now commonly referred to as the “multi-religious complex” in Cairo, an area that contains very old houses of worship of the three monotheistic religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.