Bab Zuweila
باب زويلة
The southern gate of the old Fatimid city, completed in 1092, with twin towers you can climb for views over the dense minaret-studded rooftops of Islamic Cairo.
Bab Zuweila is one of three surviving city gates of Fatimid Cairo. Its two cylindrical towers are actually minarets of the Mosque of al-Mu'ayyad, added on top of the gate in 1415. During the Mamluk era, this was a site of public executions. In 1517, the last Mamluk sultan, Tumanbay, was hanged on the gate. Inside is a small exhibition, and a narrow staircase leads up to the minaret tops, with 360-degree views over the old city's rooftops and the Citadel of Saladin. It is one of the best vantage points in old Cairo. Admission is about EGP 100–200, and it is open roughly 09:00–17:00. Outside the gate is the Street of the Tentmakers, where you can buy hand-stitched, colourful appliqué work.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Wikala of al-Ghuri (Tanoura Dance)
- Al-Muizz Street
- Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo
- Khan el-Khalili
- Al-Azhar Mosque
- Al-Azhar Park
- Abdeen Palace
- Al-Rifa'i Mosque