Hundreds of Islamists have begun arriving on Friday morning at the Rabia Al-Adaweya Mosque in a Nasr City to join rallies to support Muslim Brotherhood-fielded President Morsi on a day anti-Morsi groups have called for mass rallies to oust him.

The million-man pro-Morsi rally, dubbed "Legitimacy is a Red Line," was called for by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) to protect the president's "democratic legitimacy."

Many Brotherhood supporters have been bussed in to the densely-populated Cairo suburb since early morning from other cities and Cairo districts.

A huge stage was set up in front of the mosque's main gate by the Legitimacy Support Alliance, a newly-formed umbrella group encompassing 11 Islamic parties. The Alliance is tasked with coordinating the protests and sit-in that are set to take place.

Protesters are jovially chanting in support of the president. Shawls and bed covers spread over trees are makeshift tents to shield protesters from the 35 degree scorching sun. Caps and flags bearing the Brotherhood logo speckle the increasingly growing crowd.

The Cairo Traffic Authority has stationed metal barriers in the roads leading to the mosque to prevent clashes between supporters and other citizens.

Friday's rallies will be the second such show of strength by the president's allies within one week. Last Friday saw hundreds of thousands of Morsi supporters gather at the same Nasr City mosque to voice support for the president and to "reject violence," referring to any possible violence that may break out on anti-Morsi 30 June protests.

That demonstration came as tensions in Egypt reached a feverous pitch in anticipation of nationwide protests on Sunday calling for Morsi's ouster.

Opposition groups, spearheaded by the anti-Morsi 'Rebel' signature drive – which claims to have collected 15 million signatures endorsing its call for Morsi to step down – argue that the president has failed to realise revolutionary ideals.

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