Egypt, Ever a Wonder! (Part 2): The Glory of Medieval Islamic Cairo

- March 29, 2026, Sunday.

- The whole of Egypt has seen so much history and has preserved as much as it could over the millennia. Cairo, for one, has pockets of communities that seem to immortalize some of these significant eras. Towards the east from the downtown is Historic Cairo, also known as Medieval or Islamic Cairo. This area is also home to one of Cairo's most popular bazaars, the Khan El Khalili Market.

- My dad and I started the morning by visiting the Saladin Citadel, also known as the Cairo Citadel. It seat he seat of Egyptian government from the 1100s during Saladin's time, until the 1800s. Most of the buildings were built in the 1800s during Muhammad Ali's time, replacing many earlier buildings. Hence, majority of the buildings remind people of Ottoman-Turkish architecture as this period was during Egypt under Ottoman rule.

Muhammad Ali Mosque.

The interior really brought me back to Turkey!! (I hope to visit Turkey again some day. I miss it so much.)

Of course I had the look to match.

Courtyard.

With the flag of Egypt.

Various buildings of the citadel.

A peek at the Mosque of Al-Nasir Muhammad

Citadel gate.

Citadel walls.

- The citadel, on maps, appears to not be far from other places of interest in Islamic Cairo. However, as it is located on top of a hill, it takes a bit more energy to walk from the citadel to anywhere else. An Uber is the best and most convenient way to go to another location.

- Not too far from the citadel are the mosques of Al Hassan and Al Rifa'i (one ticket for two mosques). The Al Rifa'i Mosque, built in 1912, is dedicated to the Al Rifa'i family, who are known preachers that founded the Sufi order, Rifa'i Tariqa. The mosque is also known to be the resting place of the Pahlavi Dynasty (Reza Shah Pahlavi, and Mohammed Reza Pahlavi), rulers of Iran before Islamic rule. The former shah was reburied in Iran, while the latter shah remains in Al Rifa'i Mosque. Unfortunately the section where Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was under renovation when I was there so I wasn't able to see his tomb.

Al Rifa'i Mosque.

Two of the many tombs in the mosque.

Mihrab (niche that points towards Mecca) and Minbar (imam's pulpit) of the mosque.

Beyond this wall/door is the tomb of the Shah of Iran.

Al Rifa'i Mosque exterior.

A fuller view.

- Right beside, the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan has stood far earlier, since the 1300s. This big complex is a prayer hall, a learning center, and a mausoleum. This mosque bears architectural styles from many cultures across the Muslim world.   

Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan exterior.

Courtyard.

Prayer hall.

Mausoleum (also see the amazing architectural details!!)

Left: Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan. Right: Al Rifa'i Mosque. 

- I feel, however, the main artery of Islamic Cairo starts from Bab Al Futuh in the historic quarter's north. Bab Al Futuh is one of the last historic city gates in Islamic Cairo, from 10th century CE. Entering the gate, one would just need to walk along Al Moez Street (Al Mu'izz Street) to see everything else!

Bab Al Futuh.

- Right beside the gate is the 12th-century Al-Hakim Mosque, one of the biggest Fatimid mosques in Cairo. The mosque is also known for its minarets protected by bastions, which is a rather unusual architectural feature.  

Al-Hakim Mosque.

Minaret is under renovation, but you can still clearly see the minaret and the bastion.

Marble fountain.

- There were honestly so many mosques, and smaller museums along Al Moez Street, it would take a day just to see all of them! But for those like me who don't have the luxury of time, one architecturally and historically significant places to visit is the Qalawun Complex. Built in the 13th century during Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun's time, it was built as a mosque, madrasa, mausoleum, and a hospital. Its enormity and the speed that it was built reveal controversies such as employing or attaining land illegally. Despite these, the complex was also, at that time, able to serve the community in both religious and medical reasons.

Al Moez.

So many things to see!! It's a feast for the senses.

Many Egyptians like raising pigeons by the way, so you'll sometimes see small pigeon homes, or big ones like in this photo.

Somewhere in Al Moez.

At Qalawun Complex. This is the mausoleum.

At the madrasa's courtyard.

Mosque.

What's left of the hospital (bimaristan).

- To cap off my tour of Islamic sites, I visited the Al Emam Al Hussein Mosque. The current mosque was built in the 1800s, though the original mosque stood in the 12th century. It is the burial place of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad. 

Inside the main prayer hall.

Tomb of Imam Al-Hussein.

Mosque exterior with its giant mechanically-operated canopies.

Another angle, with a clearer view of the minaret.

- After a quick lunch in the area, there was nothing else left to do in the afternoon but to shop at Khan El Khalili Market! It is generally easy to navigate, but the small alleys lead one to an even deeper market with hundreds of shops. It can get overwhelming, but it does have a good variety of items for sale. As with any market, haggling is a useful skill, especially since prices can be at a premium for tourists.

Markets: a place that I love that my wallet does not.

So many things!!

- Islamic Cairo is perhaps the second usual image that one has of Egypt; the first being images of pyramids and ancient temples. It has alleys full of gold, smoke, carpets, fruits, and well-preserved historical landmarks. It does take a while to take everything in, but surely, immersing oneself in Islamic Cairo is a way to open the senses!!  

Egypt, Ever a Wonder! (Part 1): The Gems of Cairo and Giza

- March 27-28, 2026, Friday to Saturday. 

- Egypt has always been in my bucket list ever since was a kid. At some point, I fancied the idea of being an Egyptologist before life redirected me to Indology/Indian Studies. But Egypt has never stopped being fascinating and I'm glad I finally had the chance to visit it this time.

- An extra hurdle to the trip is the current geopolitical situation in West Asia. Since my dad and I were to fly with Emirates, there was obviously a stopover in Dubai, whose airport was recently affected by the missile strikes in the region. With flights to West Asia being cancelled here and there around a week or two before our flight, I thought that maybe my Egypt dreams have to be put on hold yet again. But thankfully, things went smoothly, and we were able to fly from Manila on the late evening of the 27th, arriving in Cairo on the 28th after a short stopover in Dubai.

- For Philippine passport holders, a standard visa processed by the Embassy of Egypt is necessary. However, those holding a VALID AND USED multiple-entry visa to any of these countries/zones (i.e., USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Schengen) are currently eligible to apply for a visa-on-arrival at Cairo International Airport. Fortunately, my dad and I had valid and used Japan visas, so we only had to pay 30USD (yes, should be paid in USD) at the airport. Just look for one of the bank stalls at the arrival hall right before the immigration, pay, and you'll get your visa sticker. However, the immigration officer should be the one to stick it on the passport.

- Traveling around Cairo is easy since Uber is available. Cairo also has a metro station, but because of time constraints I was not able to try it out during my stay. From the airport, we rode an Uber to Steigenberger Hotel at Tahrir Square, which is the main downtown area of Cairo. 

- After checking in and having a quick lunch at a restaurant across the hotel, we wasted no time and immediately went to the current largest museum in the world (based on exhibition area size), the Grand Egyptian Museum or "GEM". Because of its size, it also gets the honor of being the largest museum in the world dedicated to Egyptian artifacts. Only opened on November 1, 2025, it is the newest addition to the roster of prominent museums across Egypt. GEM is located in Giza, which technically isn't in Cairo anymore but a separate governorate, and just across the famous pyramids.

On the way to Giza, saw Cairo Tower.

Nile River.

I spy with my little eye....

What a way to start my adventures in Egypt!

Finally arrived at GEM!

Statue of Ramesses II.

Grand staircase.

- GEM features some artifacts from the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square (yes, this one's actually just beside our hotel) apart from many more collections in its almost infinite galleries. One of its most prized artifacts is the well-preserved golden funeral bust of Tutankhamun from 14th century BCE.

Funeral mask of Tutankhamun.

Lighting was chaotic.

Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.

One of the inner burial chambers.

One of the outer chambers of King Tut's tomb.

- Another major artifact to not be missed is the sun barque of Khufu from around 26th century BC. Despite its size, it was meant for use in the afterlife. It was actually found right beside the pyramids, and was originally displayed in the necropolis before being moved to GEM recently.

Hatshepsut.

Pyramid view.

Small sphinx.

- The GEM was difficult to finish even within a day, so we only visited the main artifacts to save time. Aside from this, I was chasing the sunset at Giza too, so we hopped on an Uber to Giza Pyramids View Inn, one of the smaller hotels just outside the Giza necropolis. It had a rooftop restaurant with a view of the pyramids and the sphinx! 

How many pharaohs have seen a sunset like this?

So much geometry.

Really, you're paying for the view.

Giza at dusk.

Hello sphinx!

Back at Tahrir Square after dinner.

- Frankly, the food wasn't that great, but the view was definitely priceless! Despite a worrying trip to Cairo, our first day in Egypt was a reward for making it to the country safely. Of course, this was only the beginning of more things to explore and experience in the land of one of the earliest civilizations of the world!