Al-Azhar Park Half Day Tour

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Starts with pickup from your hotel in either Cairo or Giza By Emo Tours guide and transfer to Bab Zuwayla, with its impressive dimensions, perfect stone masonry, and graceful twin minarets rising from its round-fronted towers, is one of Cairo’s most iconic monuments. It is the only remaining gate of the southern wall of the city’s Fatimid phase. It lies at the end of Khiyamiyya Street and opens onto the historic al-Muizz Street, which leads to Bab al-Futuh. Built by the Fatimid vizier, Badr al-Jamali, in 485 AH/1092 AD. The gate was named after the tribe of Zuwayla, who came from north Africa with Jawhar al-Siqili and quartered near the gate. Bab Zuwayla was also known as Bawabat al-Mitwalli, after the mitwalli al-hesba, the official in charge of finances and tax collection, who was based here. Mitwalli, "one of the righteous friends of Allah," resides in this area, and performs miracles.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

2. The Qalawun complex (Arabic: مجمع قلاون) is a massive pious complex in Cairo, Egypt, built by Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun from 1284 to 1285. It is located at Bayn al-Qasrayn on al-Mu'izz street and like many other pious complexes includes a hospital (bimaristan), a madrasa and mausoleum. Despite controversy surrounding its construction, this building is widely regarded as one of the major monuments of Islamic Cairo and of Mamluk architecture, notable for the size and scope of its contributions to legal scholarship and charitable operations as well as for the richness of its architecture.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

3. The Aqsunqur Mosque (Arabic: مسجد آق, Turkish: Aksungur Camii; also known as the Blue Mosque (Arabic: الجامع الأزرق, Turkish: Mavi Cami) or the Mosque of Ibrahim Agha (Arabic: مسجد إبراهيم أغا مستحفظان, Turkish: İbrahim Ağa Camii) is located in Cairo, Egypt and is one of several "blue mosques" in the world. It is situated in the Tabbana Quarter (Darb al-Ahmar district) in Islamic Cairo, between Bab Zuweila and the Citadel of Cairo. The Aqsunqur Mosque also serves as a funerary complex, containing the mausoleums of its founder Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur, his sons, a number of children of the Bahri Mamluk sultan an-Nasir Muhammad and that of its principal restorer, Ibrahim Agha al-Mustahfizan.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

4. The Mosque of al-Salih Tala'i (Arabic: مسجد الصالح طلائع) is a late Fatimid-era mosque built by the vizier Tala'i ibn Ruzzik in 1160. It is located south of Bab Zuweila, just outside the southern entrance to the old walled city of Cairo. Postcard showing the mosque's ruined courtyard circa 1885, with the Ottoman-era minaret visible over the entrance (left) The mosque was commissioned by Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, the vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate, in 1160. Tala'i was one of the last powerful and competent viziers who maintained a level of stability in the Fatimid empire in its last decades. As the Fatimid Caliphate was abolished in 1171, this mosque is the last major Fatimid monument to have been built (and which still survives). Some of the mosque's original decorative elements continued to appear in post-Fatimid architecture in Cairo.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

5. Al-Aqmar mosque is located on al-Muizz Street, and was commissioned by the Fatimid Caliph al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah in 519 AH/ 1125 AD. The mosque’s construction was supervised by the Vizier al-Ma’mun al-Bata’ihi, and it was renewed during the reign of Sultan Barquq in 799 AH/ 1397 AD under the supervision of Prince Yalbugha al-Salmi. The main façade of the mosque is presently one of the oldest surviving stone façades in Egypt. Its architecture is characterized by its intricate stone carvings and the repetition of the phrase “Muhammad and Ali”, in addition to Qur’anic verses written in the Kufic script. The engineer’s ingenuity is most manifest in his ability to orient the façade to the direction of the street and maintain the direction of prayer inside the mosque. When the Coptic Museum was built in the twentieth century, its façade was inspired by al-Aqmar Mosque’s architecture, but with Biblical

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

6. Madrasa of Sultan Barquq

   Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Barquq or Mosque-Madrasa-Khanqah of Az-Zaher Barquq (Arabic: مسجد ومدرسة وخانقاه الظاهر برقوق) is a religious complex in Islamic Cairo, the historic medieval district of Cairo, Egypt. It was commissioned by Sultan al-Zahir Barquq as a school for religious education in the four Islamic schools of thought, composed of a mosque, madrasa, mausoleum and khanqah. The complex was constructed in 1384-1386 CE (786 to 788 AH), with the dome added last. It was the first architectural facility built during the rule of the Circassian (Burji) dynasty of Mamluk Sultanate. The complex is situated in the traditional area of Muizz Street. Along with the Complex of Sultan Qalawun and the Madrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad, with which it is contiguous, 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.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

7. Bab al-Nasr (Gate of Victory) is one of the gates of the northern wall of Fatimid Cairo, and opens onto al-Gamaliya Street. It was built in 480 AH/1087 AD by the vizier and commander-in-chief, Badr al-Jamali, during the reign of Caliph al-Mustansir bi Allah. The current Bab al-Nasr displaced an earlier, brick, gate constructed by Jawhar al-Siqilli, Cairo’s founder. Deeming it insufficient for the protection of the city, Badr decided to construct a new, stone, tower, which he sited farther north. Although this new structure was founded as Bab al-Izz (Gate of Glory, or Power), it continued to be known by the name of the old tower, Bab al-Nasr. The gate consists of two square towers with the entrance in between. A series of shields carved in raised relief adorns the facade of the gate and its towers. These are likely suggestive of the protective role of the Fatimid fortifications, which are acting as the shields of the city.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

8. Bab al-Futuh

   Bab al-Futuh is one of the gates in the northern wall of Fatimid Cairo. It opens onto the historic al-Muizz Street, which leads to Bab Zuwayla. It was built by the vizier and commander-in-chief, Badr al-Jamali, during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah in 480 AH/1087 AD. Bab al-Nasr and Bab al-Futuh along with Bab Zuwayla (485 AH/1092 AD) are among the rare examples of military architecture in the Islamic world prior to the Crusades. As its dating inscription attests, this gate was founded as Bab al-Iqbal (Gate of Prosperity), but the inhabitants of Cairo continued to refer to it by the name of the older monument it replaced, Bab al-Futuh which was passed by the army to their conquests. The two towers of the gate have rounded fronts, and are linked by a platform, which features shafts in its floor through which boiling oil could be poured on invaders. The arch is splayed, and decorated with a lattice of diamonds, each containing a sculpted shape.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

9. Al-Muizz li-Din Allah al-Fatimi Street is a major north-to-south street in the walled city of historic Cairo, Egypt. It is one of Cairo's oldest streets as it dates back to the foundation of the city (not counting the earlier Fustat) 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 most important artery of the city and was often referred to as the Qasaba (or Qasabah). It constituted the main axis of the city's economic zones where its souqs (markets) were concentrated. The street's prestige also 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

   30 minutes here

10. Bayt Al-Suhaymi

    The house is located in al-Darb al-Asfar Lane in al-Gamaliyya in al-Muizz Street. It is one of the most beautiful examples of Cairo’s domestic architecture. Shaykh Abd al-Wahhab al-Tablawi established the first part of this house in 1058 AH / 1648 AD. The second and later section was set by Haji Ismail Chelebi in 1211 AH / 1796 AD, then he merged the two parts into one house. The house named after the last resident, Shaykh Muhammad Amin al-Suhaymi, who was a senior scholar of and the Shaykh of the Turkish riwaq of al-Azhar mosque in the Ottoman Period. ​ In 1349 AH / 1931 AD, al-Suhaymi heirs sold this house to the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities for the sum of six thousand pounds. It consists of several buildings overlooking a sizable picturesque courtyard. The facades are plotted with wonderful wooden mashrabiyyas (wooden grilled windows). The house also contains a large Maq'ad (seated balcony) and a furnished reception hall.

    60 minutes here · Admission not included

11. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture appointed Sites International as the lead consultant to develop and design the final master plan, landscape architecture, selected architecture and site supervision/project management of Al Azhar Park. The 74-acre site is uniquely situated amidst the splendor of Old Cairo, atop a 500 year old landfill and is defined along its western boundary by the 800 year old Ayyubid wall. The design theme is derived from the contextual Islamic heritage of Old Cairo and the design intent is to provide green open space for the densely populated city. The master plan centers on a major pedestrian spine that extends north-south, linking the topographically-varied landscape elements of the Park. Furniture and lighting fixtures were custom designed by Sites International, using local artisans from a nearby quarry district. Tour finishes with drop off at Customer Hotel.

    60 minutes here · Admission not included

Where it starts and ends

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Languages

ar, en, es

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 15 travelers per booking

Operated by

Egipto Excursiones

Know before you go

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• The hours specified in the tour are the hours taken on the journey and these are approximate.
• Entrance fees -Depending on the Tour Options Chosen

Photos