Mosque · Fatimid · 1125
A façade to read from the street.
Cairo
A small Fatimid mosque with a carved façade aligned to the street while the interior follows the prayer direction.
Get to know this place
Mosque · Fatimid · Built 1125
Al-Aqmar Mosque was built in 1125 under the Fatimid caliph al-Amir, overseen by his vizier al-Ma’mun al-Bata’ihi. Smaller than many of Cairo’s great mosques, it gives exceptional attention to its stone façade, where inscriptions and carved ornament bring the building’s identity directly onto the street.
Its plan reconciles a façade following the road with an interior oriented towards Mecca. That relationship reveals architecture responding to both worship and the city. After studying the exterior, the compact courtyard and arcades help explain how different alignments were accommodated within a relatively small building.
Details worth pausing for
Carved façade
Inscriptions
Courtyard
Entrance alignment
Hours, prices and practical details
Tips and things to know
Read the whole façade before examining details.
Good to know
Address and directions
Al-Muizz Street, north of the Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda sabil, Cairo
Nearest landmark: Al-Gamaliya
Nearest metro: Bab El-Shaaria
The best route depends on your starting point. Navigate to Al-Muizz Street, north of the Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda sabil, Cairo; for Historic Cairo sites, expect to walk the final part through narrow streets.
Get directions ↗The places closest to Al-Aqmar Mosque, to make a day of it.
Bayt Al-SuhaymiBehind the mashrabiya, a house built for shade and privacy150 m · about 2 min on foot
Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman KatkhudaWater and learning in one compact facade.150 m · about 2 min on foot
Bashtak PalaceA Mamluk hall behind the street façade.150 m · about 2 min on foot
Distances and times are estimates from where each place sits on the map; the actual route may differ.
Stops close to each other, in an order we tried. Follow it as it is, or make it your own.
Photo: الراوي · © Darb Egypt
A suggested route · Heritage
A walk through the heart of Fatimid Cairo, from its northern gate to its southern one: mosques, sabils, houses and markets along a single street. Best from late afternoon into sunset, and special on Ramadan nights.
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