Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo, the medieval city
Area guide
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Mohammed Ali Moussa · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Islamic Cairo, the medieval city
Historic Cairo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the medieval city founded by the Fatimids in the 10th century. Al-Muizz Street runs through it from gate to gate, past Khan el-Khalili and Al-Azhar; to the south rise Bab Zuweila, the Street of the Tentmakers, the great mosques below the Citadel and the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. Al-Azhar Park, on the eastern edge, looks across it all.
Sights
Al-Azhar, Al-Muizz Street, Bab Zuweila, Sultan Hassan, Al-Rifa’i, Ibn Tulun, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art and the Citadel.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Mohammed Moussa · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsShopping
Khan el-Khalili and the Street of the Tentmakers.
Dress for the mosques and carry small notes for the shoe-keepers.
Eating
Mint tea at El Fishawy; Al-Azhar Park’s terraces at sunset.
Our advice: walk Al-Muizz Street in the late afternoon and stay for the lamps of Khan el-Khalili.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Shopping
- Eating
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Islamic Cairo, the medieval city before you go.