Al-Muizz Street

Al-Muizz Street is a one-kilometre medieval street in the walled historic city of Cairo, Egypt, running from Bab al-Futuh to Bab Zuwayla and lined with 29 monuments from the 10th to 19th centuries. Free to walk, with a combined monument ticket of EGP 220 for foreign adults, it suits anyone interested in Islamic architecture.

Laid out in 970 by Jawhar al-Siqilli

The Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli laid it out when he planned Cairo in 970, a year after the Fatimid conquest of Egypt. It takes its name from Caliph al-Muizz li-Din Allah, who ruled Egypt from 969 to 975. For centuries it was the Qasaba, the city's commercial and religious spine, and it received its present name in 1937. Historic Cairo joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

From Bab al-Futuh past the Mosque of al-Hakim

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities calls it the largest open-air museum of Islamic monuments in the world, with buildings from the Fatimid period to the Muhammad Ali dynasty. From Bab al-Futuh you pass the Mosque of al-Hakim bi Amr Allah (1013), the small Fatimid Mosque of al-Aqmar (1125), Qasr Bashtak (1339), the Madrasa of Barquq (1386) and the Qalawun complex (1285) with its mausoleum, madrasa and former hospital.

Further south come the Madrasa of al-Salih Ayyub (1250), the Hammam of Sultan Inal (1456), the Mosque of al-Ashraf Barsbay (1425), the Madrasa and Mausoleum of Sultan al-Ghuri (1505) and the Mosque of al-Muayyad (1420), whose minarets crown Bab Zuwayla. Darb al-Asfar and Khan al-Khalili branch off, and craft shops still trade along the street.

Repaving and repairs since 1997

From 1997 the Egyptian government restored dozens of monuments, repaved the street, rebuilt drainage and lighting, and lowered or repainted modern buildings to suit the setting.