When one thinks of Cairo, pyramids, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics may be the first images that come to mind, but for modern Egyptians, the lives of the ancient Egyptians are a distant memory (and a great sales opportunity). Instead, daily life in Cairo is centered around the history and monuments of the Islamic empires that controlled Cairo through history. (See our top tips for touring Islamic Cairo at the bottom of this page).

Cairo is the only place in the world where you can see and compare architecture styles of nearly every great Islamic Empire.

The first examples of Islamic architecture in Cairo is from that of the Abbasid Dynasty (Mosque of Ibn Tulun – 876-879), which is the oldest intact, functioning mosque in Cairo and one of the best examples (in the world!) of a mosque design derived from the first mosque prototype, the house of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina.

In our travel guide to Islamic Cairo, we review Cairo’s architectural highlights (chiefly mosques and madrasas) chronologically by empire. For each Islamic Empire that controlled Cairo, we profile:

• the Empire’s history;
• the defining characteristics of each its architectural style (including its influences);
• the key monuments that best illustrate this style;
• the contributions this Empire made to the overall Islamic architectural legacy.

In order to provide a deeper understanding to those just beginning to learn about Islamic architecture, we have included an overview of the basic elements of Islamic architecture. For ease of reference and comprehensibility, the guide adheres to a bullet-point format.

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Top tips for touring Islamic Cairo:

1. Select the sites you want to visit before you begin touring for the day. Islamic Cairo covers a large area and this strategy will help you choose the best logistic strategy for visiting the sites. We have marked with asterisks (*) the sites that we found to be the most impressive.
2. Buy a detailed map. This will help you find all of these sites, and, if need be, show your destination to the very helpful residents of Cairo.
3. Know the times for the Muslim call to prayer. One of our favorite things is to hear the call to prayer on location as it echos through the mosque and into the city streets. Use Al Islam to find enter your destination and dates of travel to get the Muslim payer times, so that you can decide when and where you want to be in time to hear the call: prayer.al-islam.com

All Approach Guides are offered as PDF files that can be downloaded and printed immediately after purchase.

Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo (Egypt)