A Journey Through Al-Muizz Street
If you’re looking for a vibrant street in ancient Al-Qahira, Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Fatimid Street is the place to be! This street is a bustling hub of activity, with stunning ancient mosques and buildings that are sure to take your breath away. Not surprisingly, this street is one of the most popular destinations for both tourists and locals.
History of a Capital Street
When the Fatimids took control in 969 AD, high taxes and poor governance by the Ikhshidid Abbasids had already devastated the region and its capital, Fustat. The Fatimids, therefore, quickly consolidated their power over Egypt and its people.
The new caliph, Al-Muizz, launched a massive construction project. He rebuilt roads, reconstructed the canal system to support agriculture in the Nile Valley, and created a new capital, Al-Qahira. As Shi’a Muslims, the Fatimids wanted to spread their version of Islam beyond the Sunni Abbasid Caliphate. Consequently, they built Al-Qahira to rival the prestige of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad, laying the groundwork for modern Cairo.
Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Street, named after Egypt’s first Fatimid Caliph, became the main street through the Fatimid metropolis. While most of the Fatimid capital was destroyed when successive Sunni Caliphates regained power, Muizz Street kept its prominence. After the Fatimids, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman rulers governed Egypt. Many of the palaces, mosques, and monuments they built line this central path through the city.
Today, Al-Muizz Street boasts the highest density of major Islamic monuments anywhere in the world. It is one of the most significant sites in Egypt’s Islamic history. The street runs the entire length of Islamic Cairo’s main axis, from Bab Al-Futuh in the north to Bab Zuweila in the south.
In addition to its spectacular landmarks, the street also houses a lively community. Hundreds of artisans create items for sale in Khan Al-Khalili, which marks the street’s halfway point. A trip along this avenue and a stroll through the network of shops in Khan Al-Khalili are a must-do during any visit to Cairo.
Al-Muizz Street allows visitors to see both the heritage of Islamic Cairo and the new communities that coexist with its aged architecture. The northern section of the street, between Bab Al-Futuh and Azhar Street (near Khan Al-Khalili), has recently been repaired. However, the southern portion of the road is still being restored, making it more difficult to visit.
Famous Landmarks on Al-Muizz Street
Bab Al-Futuh
The Fatimid dynasty built Cairo’s gates in the Byzantine architectural style, which marked the beginning of stone construction in Cairo. Bab Al-Futuh is a short walk west of Bab Al-Nasr and near Al-Hakim Mosque. Also known as “The Gate of Conquest,” Bab Al-Futuh is the northernmost of Cairo’s three remaining ancient gates. It once served as the city’s northern entrance. The circular towers of Bab Al-Futuh, like those of Bab Zuweila, are artistically adorned.
Bab Al-Nasr
Bab Al-Nasr, or “Victory Gate,” is one of Cairo’s oldest gateways. They built it in 1087 as one of the northern gateways to Fatimid Cairo. In contrast to the cylindrical towers of Bab Zuweila and Bab Al-Futuh, the two towers of Bab Al-Nasr are rectangular with Byzantine influences. Many of the stones used to build these gates came from Pharaonic structures, and if you look closely, you might even see some hieroglyphs.
Mosque of Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah
This mosque is in the early part of Al-Mo’ez Street, near Bab al-Futuh. Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, a notoriously bizarre caliph, commissioned its construction in 990 AD. The sanctuary’s most impressive features are its minarets. They are the oldest surviving minarets in Cairo. The mosque’s remarkable entrance resembles a propylon, an ancient Egyptian structural feature.
Al Aqmar Mosque
Al Aqmar Mosque, located on El Moez Street, is one of the most magnificent and oldest structures in ancient Islamic Cairo. This modest but distinctive mosque is one of the earliest structures in Islamic Cairo. The Fatimids, who originated in modern-day Tunisia, invaded Egypt and established their Shi’a Islamic philosophy as the official religion. They ruled Egypt from 969 to 1171 and built Al-Qahira, the walled city that now serves as the heart of Islamic Cairo.
The architectural elements of the Al-Aqmar Mosque, also known as the Moonlight Mosque, are distinctive. It was Cairo’s first mosque to use an offset facade. This architectural choice allows the facade to appear square to the street front while the rest of the structure stands at an angle, aligning with the qibla, or the direction of prayer toward Mecca.
Bayt (House of) Al Suhaymi
Bayt Al-Suhaymi is located on Darb Al-Asfar (the Yellow Way). This street became one of Cairo’s wealthiest, as well-heeled residents vied for land along “the Palace Walk.” This nickname for Al-Muizz Street comes from Naguib Mahfouz’s novel of the same name. Constructed in the 17th century, Bayt Al-Suhaymi was one of Cairo’s most opulent residences.
After falling into ruin throughout the twentieth century, this home was restored in the last decade. Today, it stands as a stunning specimen of medieval Cairo’s finest Islamic architecture.
The Palace of Prince Bashtak
Beshtak Palace is one of the last remaining homes from the spacious era of Mamluk royals in the 14th century. Prince (Amir) Beshtak Al-Nasir—one of al-Nasir Muhammad’s close “khassakiya amirs” and his son-in-law—built the palace between 1334 and 1339. It stands where the Eastern Fatimid palace once stood.
The windows in Beshtak Palace are unusually decorated with mashrabiyya screens. The second floor, with its sharp arches, stained-glass windows, and gilt-decorated wood paneling, distinguishes it as one of the most breathtaking private chambers of the time.
Mosque of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar
This mosque is at the outset of Haret Burjouan of Al-Moez Street. Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar, who built it in 1839 AD, gave it his name. The mosque is famous for its pencil-shaped minaret, as well as its lovely circular Sabil and outstanding fountain.
Mosque and School of Sultan Barqouq
This mosque is on Al Moez Street, between Al Kamilyia School and the Nasser Mohammed Mosque. Al-Zaher Abu Said Barqouq designed it with a central courtyard surrounded by four iwans in the orthodontic school system style. Engineer Ibn Al-Tulun designed and coordinated the project, decorating it with incredible engravings.
Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun Mosque
Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun built the Sultan Qalawun complex in 1284. It is one of the most well-known historical structures on Shari El-Muizz Boulevard. Within its boundaries, you will find a mosque, a medersa, a mausoleum, and a mauristan. In the 1920s, they demolished the mauristan and replaced it with a modern hospital. The structure reflects the style of the Mamluks of that period. The external windows of the entire complex show Gothic architectural influences, which Sultan Qalawun became familiar with from Crusader cathedrals.
The complex is located in the center of Islamic Cairo, in a neighborhood known as Bayn Al-Qasreen, or “Between the Two Palaces,” after the two Fatimid palaces that once stood here. Like most Fatimid structures in the city, later monarchs demolished these palaces to undo the Shi’a dynasty’s influence. Qalawun’s compound was actually built on the foundation of one of these palaces.
El Ghoryia
The Ghouriyya Complex is located just south of Al-Azhar Street, near the start of the southern portion of Al-Muizz Street, which leads to Bab Zuweila. Al-Ghuri built a tomb for himself on the east side of the roadway. Tragically, he lost his remains in combat with the Ottomans, so they were never buried there.
Al-Ghuri designed the facility as a unique, multi-use environment. It housed not only the mosque and the tomb but also a Sabil that gave free water to the populace, administrative space, and a covered market. Although they have removed some of the ancient structure, the Wikila Al-Ghuri still exists to the east of several newer structures.
El-Mu’ayyad Mosque
Sultan Al-Mu’ayyad Abu Al-Nasir Sheikh Al-Mahmoudi built the Al-Mu’ayyad Mosque on al-Mo’ez Street near Bab Zewailah. It reflects its magnificence in the various colors of marble visible in the walls, ceilings, and floors.
Bab Zuweila
Bab Zuweila is at the southern end of Al-Moez Ladin Allah Street, opposite the Al-Salih Talaye Mosque. The Fatimid vizier Badr al-Jamali erected Bab Zuweila. It is named after the Zuweila family, one of North Africa’s Berber groups. Bab Zuweila is the gate where people once suspended the heads of the Apostles of Hulaku, the Tatar leader.
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