Al-Mu’izz Street - The Heart of Islamic Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

While we tend to think of Egypt as the land of pharaohs, its medieval history has also left us with wonderful architecture to enjoy. In the centre of Cairo is an area so special it has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Referred to as Islamic Cairo, it is filled with over 600 stunning medieval buildings. Some of its finest can be found on Al-Mu’izz Street.

After the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Hellenistic Dynasties and the Roman Empire came and went, Arab Muslim rulers conquered Egypt to mark the beginning of the Islamic era. These initial Arab Dynasties didn’t settle in Cairo, though. It wasn’t until the 10th century that the Fatimid Dynasty from Yemen and Syria founded Cairo. In the ensuing centuries, they were followed by other Muslim dynasties, including the Ayyubids and Mamluks. Islamic Cairo is the heart of the city and is a treasure trove of medieval architecture from these pre-Ottoman times.

This part of Old Cairo is what you imagine a medieval town to be: narrow lanes lined by old, stone buildings used for centuries by craftsmen, food markets, and inns. Towering above are medieval minarets, mosques, madrasas, and towers. We love exploring cities on foot, and by doing just that in Islamic Cairo, we could absorb the energy of this brilliant, chaotic part of the city. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).