Hawzah News Agency - Egypt's mosques reopened for Friday prayers, ending a five-month suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Worshippers attended the prayers inside mosques while observing the strict health measures imposed by the health authorities.

The faithful wore protective face masks and used personal rugs while maintaining social distancing.

The resumption of Friday prayers comes after Egypt has loosened virus-induced restrictions in recent weeks.

The government allowed daily prayers to begin again in mosques from June, but the larger Friday prayers remained suspended until now.

Authorities instructed mosque preachers that their pre-prayer sermons should be capped at a maximum length of 10 minutes.

In a televised sermon, Minister of Awqaf Mohammed Mokhtar, prayed for an end to the pandemic.

"We pray to God to terminate the epidemic in Egypt and all other countries and not to deprive us again of praying in His houses [of worship]," the official said inside a Cairo mosque.