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!!