Just as European Roman Catholic churches were made Orthodox churches and then became Catholic churches again, in African countries, mosques were Christian churches and then became Muslim shrines. It is the destiny of most religious buildings throughout the world, and the most famous mosque in the Egyptian city of Dumyat was not an exception. Throughout its long history, it was changing believers of Allah to Christian parishioners and vice versa.

The main mosque of Dumyat is the most famous and the oldest shrine in the city. It was built during the reign of Amr ibn al-As, named in his honor, and considered the second mosque erected by the Arabs in Africa. The first records of it date back to the VII century, since then, it has twice become a Christian church. For the first time, it happened in 1219, during the Fifth Crusade, when the King of Jerusalem, Jean de Brienne, established total control over the entire city and started to use the local mosque as a Christian church. After he left the city, the church was returned to the devout Muslims. But already in 1250, the mosque was again transformed into a Catholic place. There, Pope Innocent IV baptized French Prince John Tristan, the son of the great King of France, Louis the Saint, and Queen of France Margaret of Provence. 

The modern building of the mosque has been rebuilt and restored many times, and today, it is a 60-meter-long and 50-meter-wide structure. Previously, it had 160 stone columns, and 144 of them have been perfectly preserved to this day. The mosque was completely restored, and only the old tower of the minaret was purposely left untouched as a reminder of the impressive history and evidence of its former greatness.