Built in 1340 by Emir Al-Tunbugha al-Maridani, this mosque stands out because of its stunning variety of styles. You enter the courtyard, with its porticos and ablution fountain from Sultan Hassan Mosque, via a handsome green and white marble doorway..

The mosque is recognisable by its cylindrical minaret with balconies seemingly propped up by stalactite sculptures. It was built in 1346 by Emir Al-Sunqur then restored by an Ottoman officer, Agha Moudtahfizan, following an earthquake. The main attra..

Built in 1479, this was the city's first building to supply water (ground floor), as well as the first Koranic school (first floor). This type of building was common during the Ottoman period and under Mohammed Ali. In the 1930s and 1940s a second fl..

This mosque built in 1335 is the only Mamluk construction of the Citadel. Although it remains dilapidated inside, the exterior decoration is fabulous, particularly on the minarets. The higher of the two, shooting up from its handsome portal, has thre..

Inaugurated in 1938 in the grounds of the Ministry for Agriculture, this old-fashioned museum is not merely of interest to fans of all things agricultural. Its jumbled display is both historical and vaguely educational, and boasts collections that ar..

This church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and located in the heart of the Coptic district is cherished by Cairo's Christians. It was originally built (6C) at the top of two towers of the former Babylon Fortress, earning it its nickname. Highlights of ..

Despite its façade typical of Coptic churches and monasteries, Abu Serga blends in with the neighbouring houses. According to the Bible, this sanctuary was built over the crypt where the holy family took refuge during their flight from Egypt and is t..

Although the Ibn Touloun Mosque is the oldest intact example of Islamic architecture in Egypt (879), it is not the first built: Amr ibn al-As Mosque was founded in 642, but has only retained a few elements from its original construction (to the south..

The classically structured minarets of this mosque-monastery reach 50m high; you can reach the upper balcony of the north minaret, from where there is an interesting view over the City of the Dead. These two powerful domes decorated with chevron patt..

A wikala was a building with a commercial use, a caravanserai whose ground floor was used as a warehouse. This one dating from 1505 is the best preserved in the city and boasts beautiful meshrebiyas around the courtyard. Cairo's most popular Sufi d..

Strolling around this somewhat timeless neighbourhood between Bab Zuwayla and the Citadel is a great way to see Islamic Cairo and, in particular, Sultan Hassan Mosque – one of the most beautiful of its kind in the city. Wander down Mohammed Ali Stre..

This mosque built in 1912 is a pastiche of the Mamluk style. It houses the sepultures of Kings Fwad and Faruk, and cenotaphs of Princess Hanim (mother of Ismail Pasha) and the last Shah of Iran. To the left of the minbar , the mihrab of the Syrian..

This neighbourhood presents a panorama of the urban evolution the city underwent under European influence as of the 19C. There are no remarkable monuments but enormous open spaces, such as Rameses Square to the north, swarming with traffic. Al-Gum..

Reaching a height of 185m and with a cable covering that earned it the nickname the "palm tree", this tower offers uninterrupted panoramic views . It was built in 1961 (using funds received from the Americans by way of compensation for not..

The Nilometre (Al-Miqyas in Arabic) dates from the 8C and was refitted in the 11C. It has a graded column to measure water levels, thus enabling the quality of coming harvests to be predicted and the corresponding amount of the taxes to be levied. Th..

This museum is dedicated to the legendary diva who died in 1975. The "Star of the East", "Egypt's Fourth Pyramid", the "Egyptian Nightingale": there is no shortage of nicknames for the much-loved singer of the Arab world..

A little less than 5km south of Tahrir Square, a stone's throw from the Nile, lies the capital's historic quarter, known by Egyptians as Masr al-Qadima ("Old Cairo") and by foreigners as "Coptic Cairo". Its vestiges date back to R..

As strange as it may sound, over time, the "City of the Dead", a Muslim cemetery located in the east of the city has become a city in its own right. Since the middle of the 19C, Cairo's most deprived inhabitants have occupied the old tombs ..