12 Best Sights in Islamic Cairo North, Cairo

The name of the mosque means "the moonlit" and refers to the way the stone catches the moon's reflection at night. Built in 1125, it’s one of a few Fatimid buildings that have escaped major alterations. The shell-like recesses in the stone facade, later to become a common decorative element, were used here for the first time. This little mosque was also the first in Cairo to have an ornamented stone facade, and it was the first to alter its plan according to the existing urban structure, as the street existed before the mosque.

Built outside Cairo's original walls (those standing now were constructed in 1087), this mosque saw varied usage during its lifetime. During the Crusades it held European prisoners of war who built a chapel inside it. Salah al-Din (1137–1193) tore the chapel down when he used the structure as a stable. In the 19th century, Napoléon's troops used it as a storehouse and fortress; Muhammad Ali closed part of it off for use as a zawya (small Sufi school); and, until the establishment of the Museum of Islamic Arts in 1896, it served as a repository for Islamic treasures.

Originally built in 1010 by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, this gigantic mosque was restored under the aegis of the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Isma'ili Shi’a sect. Al-Hakim was an eccentric character. Some of the strangest edicts were declared during his caliphate, including one ban on mulokhia, a favorite Egyptian dish (he didn't care for it) and another on women's shoes (to prevent them from going out in public). He liked riding around town on his donkey to ensure that his orders were being obeyed, but one night, he rode off into the Mokattam hills, never to be seen again. The Druze claim that he has vanished only temporarily and will return to lead them to victory.

Architecturally, the mosque’s most significant elements are its minarets, which were restored and reinforced by Baybars II in 1303, giving them that impressive trapezoidal base. Nevertheless, its scale and history are important, and its courtyard is large and breezy, making it a comfortable place to rest or meditate.

A small passage to the left as you enter al-Hakim Mosque leads to a stairway up to the roof, where you can access the so-called Gate of Conquests, one of three still remaining in the walls of Fatimid Cairo. It was built by Badr al-Jamali in 1087 under the command of Fatimid Caliph al-Muntasir Billah. Although it was never put to the test, it was designed to protect al-Qahira from the Seljuk Turks who held Syria at the time and were threatening Egypt. This northern gate opens onto busy al-Muizz Street, which eventually leads to Bab Zuweila, the only surviving southern gate of Fatimid Cairo.

One of the few remaining examples of Islamic military architecture, the impressive Gate of Victory features exceptional craftsmanship and two 65-foot (20-meter) square towers. It was built during the same time and by the same hands as its sister gate, Bab al-Futuh, and wandering along the wall between the two is an interesting experience. An army could defend the city without ever having to leave this wall, which once had 60 gates—connected by tunnels with slit windows—as well as rooms and storehouses built into its girth. On one of this gate’s towers is the inscription "Tour Corbin," a memento of the Napoleonic occupation, during which all the gates were renamed after French army officers. (“Tour Junot" and "Tour Perrault" are also carved into Bab al-Futuh.)

With gardens, a well, and a flour mill, this massive, 16th-century merchant's house, considered Cairo's best example of domestic Islamic architecture, seems more like a self-sufficient hamlet than it does a domicile. A charming, evocative little corner of Cairo, the house and adjacent alley have been restored. The entranceway leads to a lush courtyard that is totally unexpected from the outside. On the ground floor are the salamlik (public reception rooms); the haramlik (private rooms) are upstairs.

A Tartar (Mongol) who was brought to Egypt as a slave, al-Mansur Qalawun became one of the early Mamluk rulers of Egypt. He began building this complex, noteworthy for its workmanship and diverse styles, in 1284. In its heyday, the bimaristan (hospital) that Qalawun established here was famous, with a staff that included musicians and storytellers, as well as surgeons capable of performing delicate eye surgeries. The madrasa and mausoleum showcase the complex's impressive street facade. A 194-foot (59-meter) minaret has horseshoe-shaped arched recesses and a corniced overhang, a device used since pharaonic times. The entrance's semicircular arch was the first of its kind in Egypt. Beyond the entrance is a long, tall corridor with the madrasa to the left and the tomb to the right.

The gem of the complex, however, is the mausoleum—the burial place of Qalawun and his son al-Nasir Muhammad. The chamber is dark, cool, and mammoth, and in its center is a wooden grille that encloses the tombs. There is much here to suggest that Qalawun was deeply influenced by what he saw on his exploits in Palestine. The plan of the mausoleum is similar to that of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem; it contains an octagon fit within a square. The stained glass and tall proportions have a Gothic quality that are reminiscent of Crusader churches that he saw in the Levant.

Public bathhouses were popular back in the day, with more than 80 hammams operating by the end of the 19th century. Commissioned and built in 1456 during the Mamluk period, this one is the only remaining part of a complex that once consisted of a commercial center, a fountain, and two hammams. Located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn area it’s one of the few well-preserved monuments of its type.

Though its facade is deceptively regular, this building marks a turning point in Cairo's architectural and political history. The last descendant of Salah al-Din to rule Egypt, al-Salih Najm al-Din al-Ayyub died in 1249 defending the country against the Crusader attack led by Louis IX of France. His madrasa was used by judges to hear cases and issue judgments; punishments were carried out in the street in front of it, in the Bayn al-Qasrayn area, which was the city center for centuries. This madrasa was not only the first in Cairo to have a liwan (a vaulted area) for more than one legal school, but it was also the first to have a tomb attached—two traits that became standard features of Mamluk madrasas. Note the minaret's cap, which is shaped like a mabkhara (an incense burner), and its keel-arch recess with shell-like ornamentation.

Considered the greatest Mamluk sultan, al-Nasir ruled on three different occasions between 1293 and 1340 for a total of 42 years, and during his reign, Egypt gained control of the lucrative maritime trade routes that connected England with China. Al-Nasir built more than 30 mosques, the aqueduct from the Nile to the Citadel, and a canal from Cairo to Alexandria. Eight of his sons ruled Egypt in the 21 years following his death. Qalawun's complex has slight Gothic influences, but this, his son's madrasa (built in 1304), contains distinct, Gothic elements. In fact, the entrance was literally lifted from a crusader church in Acre. The minaret, with its delicate stucco-work, is one of the city's finest.

The first of the Circassian Mamluk sultans, Barquq (whose name means "the plum") rescued the country from the ravages of the Black Death and related famine and political unrest. His complex, established between 1384–1386, includes a school where all four sects of Islam were embraced, a mosque, a Sufi khanqah (shrine), and a mausoleum where his father and a number of his wives and sons are buried. It also houses secondary school classrooms, Sufi classrooms, and sleeping quarters with various amenities for the students.

The domed minaret that adorns the entrance facade sets the complex apart. Capitals in the columns attached to the facade's wall feature a stylized ram's head. Inside, the school’s four iwans (halls), marble mihrab (niche), wooden pulpit, and Qur’an chair are all impressive. Cursive text on the walls depict Qur’an verses, the name of the founder, and the date of construction. The cruciform interior is spacious and austere, and the qibla (the direction of Mecca) wall is decorated in marble dado.

This 17th-century, Ottoman monument is impressive for its ornate façade, tiled interior, and location at a fork on Islamic Cairo's main street. Katkhuda is a Persian word meaning "master of the house," and the powerful gentleman who endowed this building was a patron of the arts and architecture, as befitted his position. Before running water was available to most of Cairo's inhabitants, it was customary for wealthy patrons to build a sabil (a public fountain) that provided people with potable water. Often attached to a sabil was a kuttab (a basic school) for teaching children the Qur'an and other subjects.

One of the holiest sites in Egypt, this mosque was originally built by the Fatimids in the 12th century as a shrine and is said to contain the head of Husayn, the Prophet's grandson. Al-Husayn is the spiritual heart of the Islamic city. It is here that the president and his ministers come to pray on important religious occasions. Many of the Sufi orders in the neighborhood perform Friday prayers at al-Husayn. During the mulid (celebration) of al-Husayn, held during the Muslim month of Rabi'a al-Akhiri (the fourth month in the Muslim calendar), the square in front of the mosque becomes a carnival. During Ramadan, the area is packed with people from sunset to dawn.

The mosque itself is a 19th-century stone building heavily influenced by the Gothic Revival; only elements of older structures remain. On the south end of the southeast facade stands a partial wall with a gate, known as Bab al-Akhdar (The Green Gate), which probably dates from the Fatimid Dynasty. The mosque is technically closed to non-Muslims. However, while large tour groups are not allowed to enter, there is more leeway for the individual traveler, provided that you avoid prayer times (noon or 1 pm) and Fridays. Women should cover their heads and everyone should cover shoulders and knees.