Al-Muizz Street

Al-Muizz Street was the main thoroughfare of the walled Fatimid city and is named after the caliph al-Muizz li-Din Allah, under whom Cairo was founded. The stretch within the old walls runs for about a kilometre from Bab al-Futuh in the north to Bab Zuweila in the south, and it has one of the densest concentrations of medieval Islamic monuments in the world. Major restoration from 1997 repaved the street and repaired dozens of buildings, and the area is part of the Historic Cairo World Heritage Site.

Walking from north to south, you pass the Fatimid gate of Bab al-Futuh and the Mosque of al-Hakim, then the small Aqmar Mosque of 1125 with its carved façade. The section known as Bayn al-Qasrayn has the greatest buildings: the Complex of Sultan Qalawun from 1285, with its mausoleum, the madrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad and the Madrasa of Sultan Barquq. Side lanes lead to Bayt al-Suhaymi, an Ottoman merchant's house with mashrabiya windows, and to the Amir Bishtak Palace. Further south the street crosses Al-Azhar Street and continues to the twin minarets of Bab Zuweila.

The walk suits anyone interested in architecture or history, and it is pleasant for families because much of the northern section is calm and largely free of traffic. Allow at least two to three hours, or longer if you go inside several buildings. Wear comfortable shoes and modest clothing, as you will be entering mosques. The monuments are generally open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.

A combined ticket for foreign visitors covers the area and many of the main buildings, including the Qalawun complex, the Madrasa of Barquq, Hammam Inal and the Amir Bishtak Palace. Bayt al-Suhaymi and Wekalet Bazaraa have separate tickets. In the evening the street is lit up and becomes a popular place for local families to stroll, though the interiors are closed by then.

Start at Bab al-Futuh, reached by taxi, and walk south so that you end at Khan el-Khalili or Al-Azhar Mosque for food and rest. The Tannoura show at Wekalet El Ghouri, just south of Al-Azhar Street, makes a good way to finish an evening here. A licensed guide adds a great deal on a first visit, as many of the finest interiors are easy to walk past without noticing.