Mosque · Fatimid · 1013
An open courtyard at the head of Al-Muizz.
Cairo
A broad courtyard at the northern end of Al-Muizz, with arcades, a projecting entrance and two minarets near Bab al-Futuh.
Get to know this place
Mosque · Fatimid · Built 1013
At the northern end of al-Muizz, Caliph al-Aziz began this mosque in 990 and his son al-Hakim completed it in 1013. It originally stood outside Cairo’s first walls, then became enclosed by the city’s later defences: its urban position changed without the building moving.
Successive uses and restorations shaped the structure, and part of it once housed a collection of Islamic antiquities. Today the broad courtyard, paired minarets and projecting entrance make the plan readily visible. The scale inside changes your sense of the busy streets beyond its walls.
Details worth pausing for
Courtyard and arcades
Twin minarets
Projecting entrance
Bab al-Futuh setting
Hours, prices and practical details
Tips and things to know
Use it to begin a north-to-south Al-Muizz walk.
Good to know
Address and directions
Northern Al-Muizz Street, Al-Gamaliya, Cairo
Nearest landmark: Al-Gamaliya
Nearest metro: Bab El-Shaaria
The best route depends on your starting point. Navigate to Northern Al-Muizz Street, Al-Gamaliya, Cairo; for Historic Cairo sites, expect to walk the final part through narrow streets.
Get directions ↗The places closest to Al-Hakim Mosque, to make a day of it.
Bab al-NasrStone, shields and the northern wall of Cairo.100 m · about 1 min on foot
Bab al-FutuhThe northern threshold of al-Muizz Street.150 m · about 2 min on foot
Bayt Al-SuhaymiBehind the mashrabiya, a house built for shade and privacy350 m · about 4 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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