Al-Muizz Street and the Mosque of al-Hakim
At the northern end, by Bab al-Futuh, stands the Mosque of al-Hakim, the fourth oldest mosque in Egypt, finished in 1013 AD. From there the street runs south past the Mamluk complexes of Qalawun and Barquq.
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Cairo & Giza · Fatimid Cairo, Gamaliya and al-Darb al-Ahmar
Islamic Cairo and Al-Muizz Street
The walled city the Fatimids founded in 969 AD, crossed from north to south by Al-Muizz Street and its mosques, madrasas, gates and markets.
About Islamic Cairo and Al-Muizz Street
Islamic Cairo is the medieval walled city the Fatimid caliphs founded as their capital in 969 AD, and the districts that grew around it. Al-Muizz Street, the city's main north-south street, runs through it from the gate of Bab al-Futuh to Bab Zuwayla, past Khan el-Khalili and al-Ghuriyya. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities counts twenty-nine monuments along it, from the 10th to the 19th centuries.
UNESCO calls the old city one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, which became the new centre of the Islamic world and reached its golden age in the 14th century. Historic Cairo was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1979, and the Ministry describes Al-Muizz as the largest open-air museum for Islamic monuments in the world.
A short history
- The FatimidsCairo was founded as the headquarters of the Fatimid Caliphate in 969 AD. Al-Azhar followed in 970 AD and has been a leading centre of religious learning ever since.
- The walls and gatesThe vizier Badr al-Gamali rebuilt the walls in stone: Bab al-Futuh in 1087 AD and Bab Zuwayla in 1092 AD, among the rare examples of military architecture in the Islamic world before the Crusades.
- The MamluksUnder the Mamluk state (1250–1517 AD) the city spread beyond its walls. The complexes of Sultan Qalawun, Sultan Barquq and Sultan al-Ghuri still dominate the skyline.
- The OttomansIn 1517 AD the Ottoman sultan Selim I hanged the last Mamluk sultan, Tumanbay, at Bab Zuwayla. Cairo became the most important city of the Ottoman Caliphate until 1805 AD.
- The nameThe street took the name al-Muizz in 1937, after the Fatimid caliph al-Muizz li-Din Allah, founder of Cairo.
What you'll see
The market streets
Markets, vendors and craft shops line the street. At al-Ghuriyya the two halves of Sultan al-Ghuri's complex, built in 1503–1504 AD, face each other across the street, and a wooden roof spanning the street between them shelters a textiles and clothes market.
Bab Zuwayla
The southern gate of the Fatimid city, two semi-circular towers with the passage between them. The twin minarets of the Mosque of al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh, built in 1415–1421 AD, rise from its towers.
Opening hours and tickets
Opening hours
| Al-Muizz Street monuments, summer and winter | 9:00 am – last entry 4:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Al-Muizz Street monuments, Ramadan | 9:00 am – last entry 3:00 pm |
| Bab Zuwayla | Same hours as Al-Muizz Street |
The Ministry's monuments website gives 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily for both.
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ticketing portal, checked August 2026
Tickets, foreign visitors
| Adult | Student | |
| Al-Muizz Street, combined ticket | EGP 220 | EGP 110 |
| Bab Zuwayla | EGP 100 | EGP 50 |
- Children under 6 enter free
- Students: valid ID, age 24 or under
- The Al-Muizz ticket covers the Qalawun complex, the Mosque and School of al-Nasir Muhammad, the Mosque of Sultan Barquq, the Palace of Amir Bishtak and other monuments on the street; Bayt al-Suhaymi and Wekalet Bazaraa are ticketed separately
Prices in Egyptian pounds, as of August 2026
Getting there and how the visit runs
Drive to the site
| Downtown / Zamalek hotels | 3.1 km · about 4 min |
|---|---|
| Giza, near the pyramids hotels | 17.9 km · about 20 min |
| New Cairo hotels | 29.7 km · about 32 min |
Without traffic, from our tours' map routing
Our Islamic Cairo half day starts at Al-Azhar Mosque, walks Al-Muizz Street and ends in Khan el-Khalili; the full day of Coptic and Islamic Cairo adds the Citadel, Sultan Hassan and Coptic Cairo.
Before you go
What to wear and bring
- Modest clothing, especially in mosques and markets
- Comfortable shoes for long walks on stone streets
Photos
- Photos with a mobile phone are free of charge
- Ask before photographing people, and avoid photographing children
Average daily high in Cairo (°C)
The coolest months are December to February.
World Meteorological Organization climate normals (monthly averages, not forecasts)
Questions about Islamic Cairo and Al-Muizz Street
What is Al-Muizz Street?
The main street of Fatimid Cairo, running from Bab al-Futuh in the north to Bab Zuwayla in the south. Twenty-nine monuments line it, from the 10th to the 19th centuries.
How old is Islamic Cairo?
Cairo was founded as the Fatimid capital in 969 AD, and Al-Azhar in 970 AD. The city reached its golden age in the 14th century.
Do you need a ticket for Al-Muizz Street?
The Ministry sells a combined ticket for the street's main monuments: EGP 220 for foreign adults and EGP 110 for students, as of August 2026. Bab Zuwayla has its own ticket, EGP 100.
What are the opening hours of Al-Muizz Street?
The monuments open at 9:00 am with last entry at 4:00 pm, and last entry at 3:00 pm in Ramadan, per the Ministry's ticketing portal.
Is Islamic Cairo a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Yes. Historic Cairo, including the Fatimid city, the Citadel and Al-Fustat, was inscribed in 1979.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; Encyclopaedia Britannica; World Meteorological Organization.
Day tours
Tours that stop at Islamic Cairo and Al-Muizz Street
Guides
Read before you go
What can you see in Cairo in 6 hours?A half-day tour, one cluster of nearby sites, or a two-hour felucca sail or quad ride; check last entry.
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First time in Egypt: which day tours to start withGiza and a museum in Cairo, both banks in Luxor, Philae in Aswan: where a first trip starts.