Fatimite Cairo

In the afternoon, you will be picked up in an air-conditioned vehicle from your hotel in Cairo. Accompanied by a guide, you will be taken to the following sites:

• El-Moaz Street: Stroll on the El-Moaz Street which was built during the Fatimid reign under the leadership of El Moez Li-Dinellah. He established fortified gates (bab) for management and administrative purposes. In his reign, no one was allowed to enter Cairo or stay there except for its residents.

• Bab El Fetouh: It was established by Gawhar El Sakaly and renewed by Badr El Gamali in 1087.

• Bab El Nasr: The gate is considered one of the remaining Islamic monuments. Its façade consists of two squares with sculptures of swords and shields. In the middle of a very huge door there is the name of the builder and date of the building above. The stairs reach to the highest door, a building of stone with knots, considered the first of its kind in Islamic architecture.

• Bab Zuweila: It was built by the army leader, Badr El Gamali in 1902 in the western wall. It was one of the largest gates in Cairo.

You will also see old houses such as,

• Manzil Zeinab Khatoun: It is one of the most beautiful houses left in the recent times. Named after its last owner, as was the custom for Islamic houses in those days, it occupies a distinguished location at the back of Al-Azhar Mosque in Azhary alley in Darb Al-Ahmar district.

• Bayt el Suhaymi: The oldest section of the house was built by Abdel Wahab el Tablawy in the 17th century. Nowadays Bayt el Suhaymi, especially after its restoration process, is the best example of a rich private house dating to seventeenth century Egypt. The house also demonstrates a lot about the art of the period and how people used to live in the Ottoman period.

After seeing the old houses, you will be dropped back to your hotel in Cairo.