Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo
The Mosque of Amr IBN AL-AS
Islamic Cairo or Fatimid Cairo
Khan El Khalili
The Museum of Islamic Art
The Mosque of Amr IBN AL-AS
The Mosque of Amr IBN AL-AS
The mosque was constructed in 642 AD by Amr Ibn Al-As who conquered Egypt for Islam. The building has been used as a mosque and university for over 1000 years. It is the oldest mosque in Egypt and one of the oldest in the entire Islamic world.
In 642 it was large enough to contain the entire Muslim army in prayer. It was altered several times and doubled in size in 827.
The interior contains many pillars and fragments taken from ancient monuments. You will notice that one of those pillars is deeply grooved. People, in hope of obtaining miraculous cures, would lick it until their tongues bleed.
When leaving the Mosque, visit Beit Zeinab Al-Khatoun house, a beautifully restored Ottoman house. The view from the roof top is magnificent and a stroll in the cool quit garden offers a rest from the noise and bustle of the local street.
Islamic Cairo or Fatimid Cairo
Islamic Cairo or Fatimid Cairo
The area is home to the city’s most important mosque and its most sacred shrine and is one of Cairo’s most fascinating neighborhoods. This part of Cairo is very traditional, so dressing modestly is best.
Khan El Khalili
Khan El Khalili
Although it also refers to a specific street, Khan El-Khalili is the general name given to this district of Cairo where one of the world’s oldest souks can be found; the local people call it The Khan.
The souk is divided by profession or trade, which makes things much easier if you are shopping for specific article, the shops selling similar merchandise are generally clustered together so you don’t have to go all over the place to compare prices or quality.
Many of the products are manufactured on the spot. Climb up to the second floor of shops and you can also watch some of the artisans at work in the back of their establishments.
The Khan began as a canvaserai, a merchant’s inn, attracting many foreign and local traders and it has been going strong for centuries.
Today, the main area of the souk is occupied by tourist shops, but a few streets to the west are also interesting. Keep in mind that the touristy places are in the outskirts of the souk and are the real good stuff can be found towards the center.
Here, you can and should haggle, whether you are interested in buying gold or silver jewelry, perfume, leather goods, alabaster, copperware, books of magic spells, costumes or just touristy knick-knacks. Just be polite, keep your sense of humor and enjoy the experience.
When all that shopping has exhausted you, drop into Fishawi’s, situated in one of the passages near the square and enjoy a mint tea or a sheesha. The establishment has been open day and night for 200 years.
The Museum of Islamic Art
The Museum of Islamic Art
The museum should be visited halfway through an exploration of Islamic Cairo. By first seeing the architecture of the old quarters you get to appreciate and understand the artifacts as you imagine them in their original settings.
Overlooked by many visitors who concentrate on the Egyptian museum, the museum should be seen because it contains one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art.
The building itself, decorated with intricate ceilings and mosaic floors, is cool, clean and properly lit. the lovely setting enhances the beauty of the objects gathered from various Islamic periods such as fountains, pottery and glass from different countries and eras. An interesting collection of Mameluke weaponry, illuminated manuscripts and Qurans belonging to King Farouk are of interest.
Not to be missed is the collection of brass lanterns traditionally hung in Mosques and the blue tiled Turkish fireplace.
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