A Muslim engineer who fled the Pentagon as it burned during the 9/11 attacks helped rebuild the crash site and turned it into the memorial chapel that exists today.

Manal Ezzat was a project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers at the Pentagon when 184 people were killed in the terror attack 18 years ago.

Ezzat, who fled the Pentagon so fast that day her hijab fell off, started planning for the memorial chapel while first responders were still working to put out fires at the scene.

The chapel, which was opened on the first anniversary of the terror attacks, is now used daily by U.S. military employees of all religions.

Manal Ezzat was a project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers at the Pentagon when 184 people were killed in the 9/11 terror attack 18 years ago

'There was a lot of emotion built into that effort,' Ezzat told the Washington Post of creating the chapel.

'We just wanted to make it a peaceful place that could help wipe away the tragedy.'

Ezzat said she and the design team knew right away that no one would want to have office space rebuilt there.

The chapel is situated alongside the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.

Ezzat, who has a doctorate in structural engineering, was tasked with designing the interior of the rebuild.

She was already working on a years-long project to renovate the Pentagon when the 9/11 attacks occurred.

Ezzat said her earlier renovation work, which included reinforcing the exterior of the Pentagon, helped 1,500 employees to flee when the plane crashed in 2001.

They were able to escape before the floors above the crash site collapsed about 20 minutes after the impact.

Ezzat, who fled the Pentagon so fast that day her hijab fell off, started planning for the memorial chapel while first responders were still working to put out fires at the scene

Ezzat said she and the design team knew right away that no one would want to have office space rebuilt there and instead planned for a memorial and chapel

The chapel, which was opened on the first anniversary of the terror attacks, is now used daily by U.S. military employees of all religions

As soon as the re-design was complete, Ezzat said she was granted a request to be reassigned.

'When I worked at the Pentagon, I just felt I was with my second family... It just destroyed me,' she said.

'I needed to get out of here. The building brought back a lot of bad memories. I just couldn't stay.'

In a short documentary, which was produced by David Washburn for Loyalty Stories, Ezzat said she personally knew a dozen employees who were killed.

'I still keep their pictures wound up with ribbon... until this moment I cannot open that ribbon,' she said.

On the day of the terror attacks, Ezzat said she ran with everyone else as they fled the Pentagon.

She said her hijab fell off but a man picked it up and tried to help her put it back on again.

Ezzat, who fled the Pentagon so fast that day her hijab fell off, started planning for the memorial chapel while first responders were still working to put out fires at the scene

184 Pentagon employees were killed when a hijacked plane crashed into the building on September 11

In the aftermath, she said she was scared being a Muslim employed at the Pentagon.

'I was angry at what they did to Islam, I was angry for the Islamic community... but above all this I was angry for the people that died - for the innocent lives on the plane and for the people that died at the Pentagon,' she said.

Speaking about the redesign and the construction of the chapel, Ezzat said they wanted to create a space for people who experienced the trauma and one that embraced and welcomed all faiths.

'It was part of my mission to take on that project. It just coincidentally happened that I was a Muslim but you can imagine I was ecstatic to know that I was part of bringing back peace to the building and harmony,' she said.

'I think it's very fine that Muslims are praying where the attack happened.

'If you walk around the Pentagon you will find all walks of life serving one nation and the chapel is a symbol of unity.'

Ezzat has been working since as a program manager for Defense Department schools.