• Qalawun Complex - Begin your tour of historic Cairo’s notable sites by exploring the Qalawun Complex. This vast structure in Cairo, Egypt, was constructed by Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun in 1284–1285. Located at Bayn al-Qasrayn on al-Mu’izz street, it includes a hospital (bimaristan), a madrasa, and his mausoleum. It is considered one of the key monuments of Islamic Cairo and Mamluk architecture, renowned for its extensive charitable activities and rich architectural design.

We will walk through the famous literary Bayn al-Qasrayn district and plaza, which once lay between two former palace complexes built in the 10th century by the Fatimid dynasty in medieval Islamic Cairo, now part of modern-day Cairo, Egypt. This area was originally part of the Fatimid Caliphate’s plan for a new palace-city named al-Qahirah (today’s Cairo) and later became the site of numerous monumental buildings.

• Mosque of Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay - Continue to the Northern Cemetery (the City of the Dead) to visit the funerary complex of Sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay, completed in 1474. This site is considered one of the most beautiful and accomplished examples of late Egyptian Mamluk architecture. Proceed to the massive Khanqah and Mausoleum of Sultan Faraj Ibn Barquq. Sultan al-Nasir Faraj built this khanqah intending to urbanize the area, but he died before his plans could be realized. The khanqah took eleven years to complete.

If time permits, we will visit the Mausoleum of Imam Shafei.

• Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad - We will also visit or pass by several other monuments, including Al Nasir Muhammad Madrassa, Barquq Mosque, Kamelia school, the Turkish bathhouse of Sultan Inal, Sabil Kuttab Abdul-Rahman Katkhuda, Bashtak Palace, Sabil of Muhammad Ali Pasha, Al Saleh Najmuldin minor mausoleum, Khusraw’s Sabil-Kuttab, Saleheya Madrasa (Theological School for adults), and Saleheya street (known for its precious stone vendors).

• Sharia Al Mu’izz Li-Din Allah - Al-Muizz li-Din Allah al-Fatimi Street, or al-Muizz street for short, is a major north-to-south street in the walled city of historic Cairo, Egypt. It is one of Cairo’s oldest streets, dating back to the city’s foundation by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century under their fourth caliph, Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah, after whom the street is named. Historically, it was the city’s main artery and was often referred to as the Qasaba. It was the central axis of the city’s economic zones, where its markets were concentrated. The street’s prestige attracted the construction of many monumental religious and charitable buildings commissioned by Egypt’s rulers and elites, making it a dense repository of historic Islamic architecture in Cairo. This is especially evident in the Bayn al-Qasrayn area, which is lined with some of the most important monuments of Islamic Cairo.

• Khan Al-Khalili - Khan el-Khalili is a famous bazaar and souq in the historic center of Cairo, Egypt. Established as a trade center during the Mamluk era and named after one of its historic caravanserais, the bazaar district has become one of Cairo’s main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. It is also home to many Egyptian artisans and workshops producing traditional crafts and souvenirs.

• Madrasa of Sultan Barquq - The Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Barquq, also known as the Mosque-Madrasa-Khanqah of Az-Zaher Barquq, is a religious complex in Islamic Cairo, the historic medieval district of Cairo, Egypt. Commissioned by Sultan al-Zahir Barquq, it was built as a school for religious education in the four Islamic schools of thought and includes a mosque, madrasa, mausoleum, and khanqah. The complex was constructed between 1384 and 1386 CE (786 to 788 AH), with the dome added last. It was the first architectural facility built during the Circassian (Burji) dynasty of the Mamluk Sultanate.

The complex is located in the traditional area of Muizz Street. Along with the Complex of Sultan Qalawun and the Madrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad, it forms one of the greatest arrangements of Mamluk monumental architecture in Cairo, in the section of al-Mu’izz street known as Bayn al-Qasrayn.

• Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar - The Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar, also known as the Mosque-Sabil-Kuttab of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar, is a complex consisting of a mosque, sabil, and kuttab established during the era of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Islamic Cairo, the historic medieval district of Cairo, Egypt. It is located at the beginning of Burjouan alley on the famed Muizz Street. On the other side, it faces the extension of Al-Nahasin Street leading to the Bab Al-Shaareya square.

• Al-Hakim Mosque - The Mosque of al-Hakim, nicknamed al-Anwar (meaning ‘the Illuminated’), is a major Islamic religious site in Cairo, Egypt. It is named after Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985–1021), the sixth Fatimid caliph and 16th Ismaili Imam. The mosque’s construction was originally started by al-Aziz, the son of Mu’izz and the father of al-Hakim, in 990 A.D. It was named after Al-Hakim because he completed and established it.

This Fatimid-style mosque was built over twenty years with significant communal effort. It is located in Islamic Cairo, on the east side of Muizz Street, just south of Bab Al-Futuh (the northern gate).

• Bab al-Futuh - Bab al-Futuh (Conquest Gate) is one of three remaining gates in the walls of the old city of Cairo, Egypt. It was completed in 1087 and faces north.

• Transport by private air-conditioned coach/minivan
• Bottled water
• Professional local art historian guide and qualified Egyptologist
• All taxes and handling charges
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off

• Drinks
• Gratuities (recommended)
• Entrance fees
• Food