Egypt

Walking through medieval Cairo

Egyptian Gazette (The story on this URL will expire shortly)

The only way to discover the splendours of Cairo's medieval city is to walk its streets and alleys, lined with stunning mosques, amazing palaces and intriguing wikalas. Many ancient monuments are still intact, but others have collapsed.

The backdrop seems medieval, but the modern world is just around the corner.Early morning or late afternoon is the best time to go. On Sundays the bazaar is closed and things are much quieter, so it's a good time to take a closer look at the architecture.Turn left out of the mosque of Ibn Tulun towards the main street, Sharia Saliba, then turn right. Sharia Saliba follows the medieval main street known as the Qasaba, lined with palaces and mosques that are currently being restored (the area was shaken by earthquakes in the 1990s). On the left is the 15th century late Mameluke mosque-madrasa of Amir Tagri Bardi, followed by the very ornate but lovely 19th-entry sabil (public fountain) of Umm Abbas. Farther on, facing each other, are the tall walls of a khanqah (Sufi covent) to the right and a mosque to the left, both built by Amir Shaykhu in the 14th century. Note the unusual pharaonic cornice above the entrance gate and the beautiful ceiling of the sanctuary iwan. Outside turn right and walk about 150m (165 yards) to the impressive Mameluke sabil-kuttab (fountain-Quranic school) of Sultan Qaytbay with an extremely handsome red, white and black entrance portal. At the fork take the street to the left before arriving on Midan Salah al Din, a large square overlooked by the Citadel, and the mosques of Sultan Hassan and al Rifai.Cross the square towards the striped 16th-century mosque of Mahmoud Pasha, a governor of Cairo who was assassinated because of his cruel ways.

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