CAIRO
Egyptian authorities have cancelled Eid prayers in the Moustafa Mahmoud Mosque plaza, one of Cairo's main open spaces for religious festivities, for security reasons.
"The prayers will be performed only inside the mosque in order to be able to control the building, prevent clashes and easily disperse sit-ins near the mosque," a security source told Anadolu Agency.
He linked the decision to "the current circumstances in the country ".
Egypt has been in the throes of a deep political crisis since the July 3 ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi by the army following mass protests against his regime.
Ever since, Morsi supporters have been staging daily rallies and sit-ins to defend his democratic legitimacy and demand his reinstatement.
Built by scientist Moustafa Hamoud in 1978 in the upmarket district of Mohandiseen, the mosque complex is one of the most famous worship places in Egypt.
It has the biggest plaza in Egypt, which can accommodate hundreds of thousands of Egyptians who usually gather there to perform the Eid prayers and celebrate Islamic religious feasts every year.
Before the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak, the Moustafa Mahmoud courtyard had been a place for the Muslim Brotherhood and Mubarak's now-defunct National Democratic Party to compete for the heart and mind of worshippers.
Mubarak's supporters used to stage rallies in the area.
After the 2011 revolution, the site became a competing ground for Islamist and liberal political parties to woo support by handing out gifts and propagate their agendas.
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