This mosque was built overlooking the Salah El Din square. The original site of this Mosque was occupied with 2 palaces: palace of Yalbgha Al- Yehiawy and the palace of Tunbugha Al- Mardiny. However, Sultan Hassan erased the palaces for the construction of his Mosque.
This Mosque was founded by Sultan Hassan son of An- Nasser Mohamed Ibn Kalowon. This Mamluk ruler ruled Egypt during two periods: from 748 to 752, then he was exiled to Syria, then he regained his throne and ruled from 755 to 762 and he was killed at Syria. He founded this Mosque during the 2nd period at 757 A.H. and he spent 3 years in the construction of this Mosque.

This Mosque is very important because it is considered as the Pyramid of Islamic architecture in Egypt and it has the biggest Qibla Iwan, the biggest Dekket El Mubalegh, and Korsi El Koran in the Islamic world, it has the largest Façade of the Islamic monuments in Egypt. The Dome of the Mausoleum has a unique design as it is located to the back of the qibla wall instead of being to the south.

The façade of this Mosque has 4 sections: the 1st façade is at the north-eastern side and it has decorations of Stalactite, the 2nd façade is at the south eastern side and it has the mausoleum overlooking the Salah El Din square, the 3rd façade is at the north-western side and it has a water- wheel to provide the schools with water and the 4th facade is at the south-western side and it has the windows of Hanbaliya school.
The entrance of this Mosque is located at the end of the north-eastern façade and decorated by square kuffic inscriptions and colored Stalactite.
The square entrance passage known as Durkka, then a corridor with a left and right turns leads to the open court.

The open court (Sahn) is surrounded with 4 Iwans for the 4 rites of Islam. This court has colored marble floor, a purification fountain with a wooden dorne decorated with the foundation text and wooden doors leads to the interior of each School.
This Mosque has 4 schools each one is teaching one of the 4 rites of Islam: Hanifiya which is the biggest one, Shafeaiya, Hanbaliya and Malekiya. Each school of them has an open court with a purification fountain in its middle, an Iwan for teaching the students and rooms for the dwelling of the students in 3 floors overlooking the sahn of each madrasa.
The Quibla Iwan is the Hanifiya Iwan. It is the biggest of all Iwans. It is the only one which has inscriptions decorating it. This Iwan has decorations of colored marble for the walls, colored marble Mihrab and stone minbar which is considered as a masterpiece, marble Dekkat El Mubalegh carried over 4 marble columns and two copper doors, one on each side of the mihrab leading to the mausoleum.
The Mausoleum is located behind the quibla wall, it has the tomb of Shehab Ahmed and Shehab Ismaile the two sons of Sultan Hassan. The Mausoleum was built for the Sultan but his sons were buried in it, it has colored marble casing the walls, Naskhi inscriptions for the Korsi verse, a huge dome with gilded decoration and a huge Korsi Koran decorated with ivory and ebony. It is considered as the oldest one in Egypt.