Backpacking Sharia al-Mu'izz li-Deen Illah | Cairo | Egypt
Al-Mu'izz street, in full, Sharia al-Mu'izz li-Deen Illah, is probably the oldest street in Islamic Cairo and has the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world. It's named after Al-Muʿizz li-Deen Illah, the fourth caliph of the Fatimid dynasty.
Greetings from Cairo (December 2015) and my first photo story from the latest stage of this seemingly never-ending journey. Cairo to Cape Town - Overland.
Shouldn't I be posting about the Pyramids? Na, been there, done that, last trip and to be honest, I wasn't overly impressed. I was shocked that for such a site, UNESCO listed and all, of the amount of trash there. Shame on you UNESCO.
Time for something different. Day 2 in Cairo and I headed east, on foot, stopping at the KAZAZ food joint for a fava bean-filled pita bread known as foul (fool) and through the streets, quiet in the early morning, to the Islamic Quartier.
Shouldn't I be posting about the Pyramids? Na, been there, done that, last trip and to be honest, I wasn't overly impressed. I was shocked that for such a site, UNESCO listed and all, of the amount of trash there. Shame on you UNESCO.
Time for something different. Day 2 in Cairo and I headed east, on foot, stopping at the KAZAZ food joint for a fava bean-filled pita bread known as foul (fool) and through the streets, quiet in the early morning, to the Islamic Quartier.
Above: Panorama shot at the Al-Hakim Mosque. Unique are the twin minarets and are the earliest surviving minarets in the city. It was constructed in 928 and has been used as a prison, a fortress and a school. Today it operates as a place of worship.
At the northern end of Sharia al-Mu'izz, you have Bab al-Futuh, Conquest Gate and at the southern end, you have Bab Zuwayla. In between, there is a long list of historical architectural wonders. Mosques, madrasas (Islamic schools), caravanserai and a hammam.
Old man outside the Al-Aqmar mosque, suitably photoshopped:
At the northern end of Sharia al-Mu'izz, you have Bab al-Futuh, Conquest Gate and at the southern end, you have Bab Zuwayla. In between, there is a long list of historical architectural wonders. Mosques, madrasas (Islamic schools), caravanserai and a hammam.
Old man outside the Al-Aqmar mosque, suitably photoshopped:
Inal Hammam. Could do with a scrub, the pollution in Cairo is crazy.
Inside the Madrasa Khanqah Of Sultan Al-Zahir Barquq
Another minaret, another mosque. An interesting day out. Stay tuned for the next photo story from Egypt.
Thanks to the guys at Dahab Hostel Cairo. Kudos!
Thanks to the guys at Dahab Hostel Cairo. Kudos!
This post has been rewritten for Nomadic Backpacker and is based on my travels in Africa in 2015/2016
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