The historic mosque is named after the 13th century mystic Abu'l Abbas al-Mursi, who is also buried in the same place along with members of the Ashraf family.

[2] In 1307, a mosque was built over the shrine, with funding from Zain al-Din al-Qattan, a merchant and Sufi shaykh of Alexandria.

Italian architect Mario Rossi was involved in planning the design and decor of the mosque, and construction took sixteen[5] or eighteen years.

Several Arabic inscriptions, arabesque interlacing, mosaics, mashrabiyas, and ventilation openings that surround the mosque from all directions are present on the interior of the roof.

The mosque as a whole rises approximately three meters above the level of its surroundings, which was said to be a strategic move against air raids during wartime.