Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo
4.5
About
After the Muslims conquered Egypt in 641 AD, they built their city, Al-Fustat, on what is now the southern border of modern Cairo. Today, this section of the city contains many important sites including the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Mosque of al-Azhar and the Khan al-Khalili market, which is considered the heart of this area.
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- El Geish • 2 min walk
- Abdou Pasha • 9 min walk
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4.5
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podrozniczka60
New Jersey16,679 contributions
Dec 2021
This area of Cairo offers a journey back in time. We did it all on foot, which is the best way and perhaps the only way to do it right. It helps to have a guide. Narrow streets are lined up with old houses. Several famous mosques. Tombs of distinctive Islamic figures. Medieval structures. City walls and gates. The ruins of a Medieval hospital. Interesting family run stores. The route from the Palace Walk novel by Naguib Mahfouz can be followed by the fans of this Nobel Prize winning Egyptian author. I got excited to be able to see the architectural examples of the windows used by women customarily forced to lead their lives only indoor and out of sight. Those elaborate windows allowed them to peak outside while not being seen by anybody from the outside. Starting the walk from the Fatimid gate and walking all the way to and through the bazaar you can finish your exploration sipping a cup of coffee in a cafe near the mosque. It is a shame that the mosques are so inaccessible if you are not a male believer but in spite of that there is so much to see in this interesting part of Cairo.
Written 8 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TTOverseas
Cairo, Egypt203 contributions
Apr 2022
Islamic Cairo has long been a center of religion and learning- It is worth the visit, but there are lots of ways to experience this. We combined Islamic Cairo with the Citadel/Muhammad Ali Mosque, so we were able to discuss a lot of the history while overlooking from the Citadel.
Walking tours are popular, but we chose to only walk at the more popular locations and use a van to take us around, while getting more history about the areas. We also took the tour guides recommendation for a local Egyptian restaurant (yes, we are aware how this normally works, but we were very happy with the recommendation and value- Have the discussion on value and expectations before you agree!).
It is difficult to get an understanding of the Egyptian people and experience without discussing the history of Islam in Egypt, this is the best place to have that discussion.
Walking tours are popular, but we chose to only walk at the more popular locations and use a van to take us around, while getting more history about the areas. We also took the tour guides recommendation for a local Egyptian restaurant (yes, we are aware how this normally works, but we were very happy with the recommendation and value- Have the discussion on value and expectations before you agree!).
It is difficult to get an understanding of the Egyptian people and experience without discussing the history of Islam in Egypt, this is the best place to have that discussion.
Written 30 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SidSne
Scotland, UK404 contributions
Feb 2022 • Family
We were treated to a great half day visiting various mosques and landmarks. You need a good tour guide and a private tour exclusively for this is good. Ideally do not combine Islamic and Coptic Cairo with same guide as they are noted be good generally with one reading reviews and from personal experience Citadel Al Azhar mosque are few highlights
Definitely worth a half day in Cairo to gather a lot of history and heritage
Definitely worth a half day in Cairo to gather a lot of history and heritage
Written 1 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
japanese doremi
Chuo, Japan16,138 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
One of the faces of the "Historic Cairo" is the "Islamic Cairo".
It began with the Arab conquest of Egypt in the 600s AD, and flourished as the "center of the Islamic world" from the Fatimid dynasty to the Mamluk dynasty (until around the 1500s AD). The "Islamic Cairo" area still retains traces of its medieval appearance.
The "Islamic Cairo" covers a wide area including the current "Azhar Square", "Citadel", and "City of the Dead", and there was certainly a lot of Islamic architecture. It was nice.
By the way, from the "Citadel" on the hill, you could get a panoramic view of Islamic architecture such as "mosques" and "minarets".
It began with the Arab conquest of Egypt in the 600s AD, and flourished as the "center of the Islamic world" from the Fatimid dynasty to the Mamluk dynasty (until around the 1500s AD). The "Islamic Cairo" area still retains traces of its medieval appearance.
The "Islamic Cairo" covers a wide area including the current "Azhar Square", "Citadel", and "City of the Dead", and there was certainly a lot of Islamic architecture. It was nice.
By the way, from the "Citadel" on the hill, you could get a panoramic view of Islamic architecture such as "mosques" and "minarets".
Written 21 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria Solange O
Farroupilha, RS30,304 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Islamic Cairo is the historic part of the city, home to hundreds of monuments and beautiful mosques. Many buildings are in a precarious state, but it is still worth it for the history. It is an area with narrow streets and a lot of movement. There is the Alabaster Mosque among others. There is constant harassment from vendors and there is rubbish scattered around.
Written 20 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LolaGo1
Washington DC, DC6,632 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
My guide told me that there are more than 1000 mosques in Cairo itself. It is very evident as we drove around Cairo and Giza.
Due to time constraints, we visited the mosque at the Citadela, the Al Rifa Mosque and the Mosque and adrasa of Sultan Hassan. As expected, we had to take off our shoes and women have to cover up their heads.
These mosques are rich in History. Noted some tombs inside these mosques, tombs of royalties. They also have nice, beautiful ceilings, chandeliers, especially those of Mohammad Ali.
Due to time constraints, we visited the mosque at the Citadela, the Al Rifa Mosque and the Mosque and adrasa of Sultan Hassan. As expected, we had to take off our shoes and women have to cover up their heads.
These mosques are rich in History. Noted some tombs inside these mosques, tombs of royalties. They also have nice, beautiful ceilings, chandeliers, especially those of Mohammad Ali.
Written 21 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KGB777
Singapore, Singapore41,318 contributions
Nov 2019
A visit to Cairo can't really be considered complete without an attempt to check out the ancient mosques and madrassas of Islamic Cairo. The Sharia al Muizz is the place to go to start this visit with a highly concentrated selection of Islamic sites of interest in the vicinity. This can then be extended to the huge bazaar and various other mosques in the vicinity. I visited in 2019 and spent about half a day exploring the area.
Written 12 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK186,657 contributions
Oct 2019
Islamic Cairo is one of the oldest parts of Cairo, though not as old as Coptic Cairo. Islamic Cairo was built after the muslim conquests and they wanted a separate for muslims. Fortunately that restriction doesn’t exists and foreigners are free to wander. The place is quite popular with the locals and also has many fine things to see such as Mosque of Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay, Qalawun Complex, Masjid Al Hakim, Al-Azhar Mosque and some of the immense old city fortification gates are still standing.
Written 7 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cairowendy
Liverpool, UK4,295 contributions
Islamic Cairo is well worth several visits. It is spread out over several areas. So if time is short you may have to choose just one of them.
I like the El Hussein (1)area very much and also the area below the Citadel (2).
I believe that the following should not be missed, and will attach some of my photos to give you an idea of the great buildings you can see :
Area 1
Al Hakim Mosque
Beit El Suhami (house)
Bab El Fattouh (city gate)
Bathhouse
Area 2
Ibn Toloun Mosque
Sultan Hassan Mosque
Hope this helps and please contact me for any info / tips you need.
I like the El Hussein (1)area very much and also the area below the Citadel (2).
I believe that the following should not be missed, and will attach some of my photos to give you an idea of the great buildings you can see :
Area 1
Al Hakim Mosque
Beit El Suhami (house)
Bab El Fattouh (city gate)
Bathhouse
Area 2
Ibn Toloun Mosque
Sultan Hassan Mosque
Hope this helps and please contact me for any info / tips you need.
Written 30 May 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BRYNSI
LONDON148 contributions
After a hectic whirlwind around the bazaar ( The Khan Al-Khalili ), we turned off to find the Old Islamic part of Cairo, being a great fan of the artist David Roberts, we wanted a glimpse into these hidden gems he had captured in watercolours in the mid 19th Century.
Within a few minutes walk from the Khan Al-Khalili, we found ourselves in a part of Cairo we thought lost to history books and lithographs. Our pleasant stroll through these streets and alleys was a breathtaking tour of some of the most beautiful Architecture we have had the good fortune to look upon. Armed with our Lonely Planet Guide book, we ambled happily back and forth these streets, with no hassles or interruptions, the passing locals smiling at us as they went about their daily business. Every street and corner had something to make you stop and admire, so many that it would take an eternity to list them all. Our favourites however were the Complex of Sultan Al-Ghuri, the Bab El Fattouh Gate and the Mosque of Sultan Al-Muayyad.
Our walk was hassle free and extremely safe, although we got slightly lost at one point, but navigated ourselves back on track very easily, all in all, a fantastic experience, with no cost and the worries of the world far behind you, after the Giza Experience, we would rate an amble around the Old Islamic City as a must do.
Just arm yourself with a good descriptive guide book.
Within a few minutes walk from the Khan Al-Khalili, we found ourselves in a part of Cairo we thought lost to history books and lithographs. Our pleasant stroll through these streets and alleys was a breathtaking tour of some of the most beautiful Architecture we have had the good fortune to look upon. Armed with our Lonely Planet Guide book, we ambled happily back and forth these streets, with no hassles or interruptions, the passing locals smiling at us as they went about their daily business. Every street and corner had something to make you stop and admire, so many that it would take an eternity to list them all. Our favourites however were the Complex of Sultan Al-Ghuri, the Bab El Fattouh Gate and the Mosque of Sultan Al-Muayyad.
Our walk was hassle free and extremely safe, although we got slightly lost at one point, but navigated ourselves back on track very easily, all in all, a fantastic experience, with no cost and the worries of the world far behind you, after the Giza Experience, we would rate an amble around the Old Islamic City as a must do.
Just arm yourself with a good descriptive guide book.
Written 28 September 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ciao.
Potresti indicarmi il sito della compagnia di BUS?
Written 21 November 2017
Il taxi è il miglior mezzo per girare il Cairo, costano pochissimo.
Written 21 November 2017
like to know where is the alazhar univercity
Written 7 February 2016
Hi its easy to find , when you visit the Khan el Khalili markets you can cross the street and ask anyone there they all know this landmark , good luck and enjoy
Written 9 February 2016
Islamic Cairo interests me a great deal and I will be there in February. I'm a little confused though, is this something folks are just doing on their own or is it a facilitated activity?
Written 10 January 2015
Hello,
I would recommend a guide. First of all, Islamic Cairo covers a huge area and is best explored if you have a guide who could give you the background of different historical places. Also, a local guide is to recommend in the somewhat worried times, because, after all Cairo is not entirely recovered after the Arabic Spring and many happenings which followed after that in Egypt. BUT, you should absolutely visit that part since it gives you a good idea how most of common egyptian people live their every day life. You will, also, find them very warm and simple. In my personal opinion you have not seen Cairo if you have not seen Islamic Cairo.
Enjoy your visit.
Written 11 January 2015
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