Islamic Architecture

Cairo's Islamic architecture is among the most impressive that the Islamic world has produced. Three eras shape the cityscape:

• Fatimid (10th–12th century): Al-Azhar Mosque, al-Hakim Mosque, city walls with Bab al-Futuh and Bab Zuweila. Simple elegance, geometric clarity.
• Mamluk (13th–16th century): The peak. Sultan Hassan Mosque (1363), Qalawun Complex, Barquq Mosque — monumental structures with elaborate stucco, colorful marble inlays (Ablaq), stalactite vaults (Muqarnas), and the tallest minarets in the Islamic world.
• Ottoman (16th–19th century): Mohammed Ali Mosque (Alabaster Mosque, 1848) on the Citadel — modeled after Istanbul with a central dome and slender minarets. Elegant, but less original than the Mamluk buildings.