Islamic Cairo is the medieval district of Cairo and one of the oldest Islamic cities in the world. The walled area houses large mosques, old bazaars and narrow streets that will transport you to the past in the blink of an eye.
A walk through Islamic Cairo is a journey to the time of Muslim rule. The mosques, shops, and markets of this area are among the most beautiful in the city and a tour of its streets will allow you to imagine the greatness of its past!
Even if it is no longer the central most area of The Modern Capital of Egypt, Islamic Cairo is nevertheless a living reminder of the city’s interesting past and is one of the most favored things to do in Cairo. Most of the Fatimid walls have long broken, but there are hundreds of relics and magnificent mosques still lining the historic streets of Al-Qahira. Islamic Cairo is unique from many historic districts because it is still very much an alert part of the city and visited during all of Cairo Day Tours. Al-Qahira was arranged with palaces and administrative buildings when it was initially formed, the people of Cairo moved into the walled city during a 12th-century attack and they never left since then. Despite its crumbling architecture and developing infrastructure, Islamic Cairo remains one of the most developed areas of the city.
Touring Islamic Cairo can be a difficult task. It is quite a large area, including the old Fatimid city as well as the areas reaching south to The Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. There are literally hundreds of sites of different sizes and importance packed in along these narrow allies. in addition, the fact that it is still a busy commercial and suburban area and Islamic Cairo can present quite a challenge. One can spend diverse weeks simply getting lost in these ancient streets without running out of new sights and experiences; however, there are several areas where more casual tourists should focus their attention to see much of what this historic region has to offer in a shorter amount of time.
Highlights of Islamic Cairo:
The most magnificent outdoor museum of Islamic art is called El-Moez Street. it was the main street through the city when it had built during the 11th century and mosques, schools, Sabils, mausoleums, and palaces were built here. The northerly part of the street (between Bab El-Fotouh and Al-Azhar Street) was newly renovated. This is one of the most graphic parts of Cairo. The Qala’un Complex hither is one of the most prominent in Cairo.
You can easily spend the day in this area, ending up in the evening at Cairo’s famous 14th-century market, Khan Al-Khalili. Refurbishment work on the southern section of the street (from the Ghouriya Complex to Bab Zuweila) started in 2011. Further in the area of Khan Al-Khalili is Al-Azhar Mosque.
Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi Castle contains 4 mosques, they are: “Muhammad Ali Mosque, Mosque, and Madrasa of Al-Nasir Qalawun, Mosque of Sulaiman Pasha Al-Khadim – Sariyat Al-Jabal, Mosque of Ahmad Katkhuda Azban – Mosque of Al-Azab” Your visit to the mosques located inside the Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi Citadel, including the Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Masjid of al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun, represents an architectural slender of Egyptian Islamic history during the era of Salah al-Din,
When you visit the castle, do not forget your visit to the museums located in the castle, including the Museum of Vehicles, the Military Museum, and the Garden Museum, because they contain a large number of rare artifacts because you can see them anywhere else except in Salahuddin Castle. Facing the Citadel is the massive Sultan Hassan complex, known as the pyramid of Islamic architecture, and was built by the Mamluk ruler Al Sultan Hassan during the 14th century. This huge mosque includes a madrassa (religious school to teach the four rites of an Islamic sect in Islam) and displays some of the most impressive architectural elements in any mosque in the city.
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is a walking distance from both The Citadel Of Saladin and the mosque of Sultan Hassan. established-in 872 AD, it is the oldest standing mosque in Islamic Cairo and the largest by land area. It is a really impressive space, owing to its unique Samarran architectural style to the fact that it was built when Egypt’s leaders were from Iraq. Additionally, the Gayer-Anderson House Museum connected to its outer walls. The proximity of the Citadel and Sultan Hassan Mosque to Ibn Tulun makes them easy sights to merge into a day of touring. Al-Azhar Park is one of the largest parks in Greater Cairo and one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the world. It is located on an area of 80 acres that was used in the past as a dumpster for garbage and waste for more than a thousand years. The project was announced in 1984 and opened to visitors in 2005 as it took over 7 years to construct, at a total cost of more than 100 million pounds. This beautiful site offers panoramic views of the city and manicured gardens. There is also a café and restaurant. Also, watching the sunset from the garden is one of the things that you should try!
Planning any tours to Egypt? or from our varieties of tours from Cairo?you can easily explore Islamic Cairo with Cairo Top Tours.
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