New Delhi June 25  : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visited the historic 11th-century Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo on Sunday, which was restored with the help of India’s Dawoodi Bohra community. The Prime Minister was seen appreciating the intricate carved inscriptions on the walls and doorways of the mosque which was built in 1012.

Modi is currently on his maiden State visit to Egypt, and will meet President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi later today. This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 26 years. He will also pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who fought the World War I in Egypt and Palestine at Cairo’s Heliopolis War Cemetery.

Modi began his maiden state visit to Egypt by holding discussions with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly and top Cabinet ministers on deepening trade relations and further strengthening the strategic partnership. Seven members of the Egyptian Cabinet, led by Madbouly, were present at the meeting with Modi. This first official engagement was a meeting with the India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by President El-Sisi in March to further enhance the relationship with India.