There is a brass clock tower in the middle of the northwestern riwak, which was presented to Muhammad Ali by King Louis Philippe of France in 1845. The clock was reciprocated with the obelisk of Luxor now standing in Place de la Concorde in Paris.

The mosque erected by Muhammad ‛Ali (reigned 1805-1848) is the most prominent monument in Cairo . Its commanding location on the Citadel enables its soaring twin minarets to be seen throughout the city, and the combination of dome and semi-domes is successful as silhouette. Work started in late 1828 under Yusuf Bushnaq, a Greek from Istanbul, and continued for at least nine years after Muhammad ‛Ali's death. The exterior was covered (the first 11 meters) with alabaster, which has weathered badly. The complex includes a mausoleum.