Sharia AL Mu'izz Li-Din Allah

Cairo's center has a city within a city.



Here, a cobbled street is ideal for wandering while admiring the magnificence of the historic architecture and savoring its wonders among the most outstanding medieval constructions in Islamic history.

Islamic, Roman and Fatimid dynasties competed to leave their stamp on the famed boulevard and, in some cases, outdo those of their forefathers, so there is no shortage of influence from them along the 1-kilometer span. One peek down the street will show you a Mamluk palace, an Ayyubid madrasa, an Ottoman sebil (fountain), and a Fatimid minaret. It reaches from Bab Al-Futuh in the north to Bab Zuweila in the south. The national government made extensive upgrades to the sewerage, new construction, and historic structures in 1997 to turn the street into an 'open-air museum.'

Instead of a gate or a grand entry like most palaces, this one had a wide doorway that fit in with the rest of the street. It was built as a complex with various functions, including a madrassa, bimaristan, and a mausoleum (Persian for hospital).