The Gayer Anderson Museum
The mansion of the British Egyptologist Gayer Anderson has a large and fascinating number of rooms displaying artifacts from the traditional life of the Egyptian elites.
Al-Azhar Park
The Al-Azhar Park is overlooking Darb al-Ahmar and the Citadel. Built on a garbage dump, it's today a green lung of Cairo and a pleasant area to stroll around and enjoy magnificent views of the city. It hosts a restaurant in a modern castle-style building and several good cafes. The theater has musical events almost every evening.
Bayt al-Sihaymi
Possibly the best-preserved Ottoman merchant house 16-17th C in Cairo. Little visited and a place of quiet beauty.
Qalawun Complex
Built by Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir c. 1304 in honor of his father Qalawun. The complex contains a mosque, a madrasah Islamic school and the mausoleum where Sultan Qalawun is buried. The mausoleum in particular is often described as the world's second most beautiful, second only to the Taj Mahal, which it slightly resembles.
The giant Khan el-Khalili market see Buy starts after the Qalawun complex, lining the streets and alleyways up to al-Azhar Street.
Midan Hussein and Sayyidna al-Hussein Mosque
One of the most sacred Islamic sites in the country and the Middle East, the mosque hosts the shrine in which the head of Ibn al-Hussein, the grandson of Muhammed the Prophet, is alleged to have been buried. The present building dates to 1870 and replaces a much earlier 12th century mosque. The Midan square before the mosque forms one of the most convenient access points to the Khan el-Khalili.
Al-Hakim Mosque
One of the largest Fatimid mosques in Cairo. It was originally decreed in 990 by the famously eccentric caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah "Ruler by God's Command" who, among other things, prohibited eating grapes or playing chess. Increasingly paranoid towards the end of his reign, he disappeared without a trace at age 36. The mosque has been used as a prison, a warehouse and an elementary school before being restored as a mosque in 1980.
The attractions listed here are listed from north to south, starting at the Bab al-Futuh Gate of Conquest at the northern edge of the Fatimid city walls. The route follows al-Muizz Street Sharia al-Muizz, which is dedicated to pedestrian traffic between 8 AM and 11 PM.
The following sights are around Midan Sala ad-Din Saladin Square, just north of the Citadel. To reach this area, continue down al-Muizz up to Bab Zuweila, then turn left onto Darb al-Ahmar also known as Sharia at-Tabana.
Sultan Hassan Mosque
Finished in 1363, this mosque was raised by the Mamluk Sultan Hassan and lying below the citadel and next to the much more recent rifaii mosque, it's maybe the primary example of the Islamic mamluk dynasty. One of the largest mosques in Egypt and the Arab world, it was used as a school for different Islamic sunni schools of thought and also contains a mausoleum.
Rifaii Mosque
Built in 1911, this mosque holds the tombs of a great number of Egyptian aristocrat families and also the last Shah of Iran, who retreated to Cairo after being ousted from power in his country.
Ibn Tulun Mosque
Raised in 877 by the Abbasid governor, this mosque has a style reminding of the Samarra mosque in Iraq, quite different from other Egyptian mosques. Built on a six-acre site, the mosque was large enough to accommodate all of the city's males for Friday prayer. The mosque has an open interior, and the minaret, the oldest in Egypt, is accessible for a little baksheesh.
Al-Azhar Mosque
Founded in 970, al-Azhar is one of Cairo's oldest mosques and the world's oldest operating university.
Citadel
Mohammed Ali Mosque
Built inside the Citadel by the famous Egyptian regent Mohammed Ali between 1830 and 1848, and site of his tomb.
The Citadel was built by Salhadin, the Muslim caliph who defeated the Crusaders, between 1176 and 1183. It was the center of Egyptian government until Khedive Ismail moved his palace to the new Abdeen Palace in 1860. The Citadel is famous for its great views over Cairo as far as the Pyramids of Giza, and is home to three mosques and three indifferent museums: the National Military Museum, the National Police Museum, and the Al-Gawhara Palace Museum. Music events are sometimes performed in evenings, check out local entertainment guides. LE 50 20 conc.
National Police Museum