In the marble quiet of Al-Rifai Mosque, where sunlight filters through ancient windows and prayers echo softly beneath the dome, the last Shah of Iran rests beside the kings of Egypt. His presence there continues to remind visitors of the fragility of power, the permanence of loyalty, and the strange ways history brings lives and nations together.
The friendship between Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Anwar Sadat was one of genuine personal respect and shared vision. Both men had ascended to power in turbulent times, both sought to modernize their nations, and both aligned closely with the United States during the height of the Cold War. Their alliance was built on mutual admiration.
