Overview of Muizz Street
Moez Street is one of the main streets in Historic Cairo.
It is one of the oldest streets in and one of the best open-air museums in Egypt. as the city was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the tenth century, during the reign of the fourth caliph, al-Muizz Li Din Allah.
Historically, it was the most important artery in the city and was previously called the Qasaba (or Qasabah ), and it formed the main axis of the city’s economic districts where its markets were concentrated.
Al Muizz Street in Cairo has the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world, redefining words like majesty and beauty.
This is particularly evident in the area between al-Qasrayn, which is surrounded by some of the most important monuments in Islamic Cairo.
Description of Muizz Street
Al-Muizz street goes from Bab al-Futuh city gate in the north to Bab Zuweila gate in the south, both entrances to the stone walls built by vizir Badr al-Jamali in the 11th century.
This makes it one of the longest streets in the walled city, approximately one kilometer long.
Although the name al-Muizz street usually applies only to the street within the historic walled city, in practice the road from al-Muizz street continues (under various names) further south for a few kilometers.
Passing through the Qasaba of Radwan Bey (al-Khayamiya), and finally ending in the large necropolis of Qarafa (the Southern Cemetery or the City of the Dead).
History of Muizz Street
The new Caliph al-Muizz undertook a massive project of reconstruction, through the renovation of roads, the canal system on which agriculture in the Nile valley depended, and the construction of new capital, Cairo.
In 970, Jawhar was responsible for planning and building a new city to serve as a residence and center for the Fatimids caliphs.
The city was called al-Mu’izziyya al-Qaahirah, the “Victory City of al-Mu’izz”, later simply called “al-Qahira”, which gave us the modern name of Cairo.
The city was located northeast of Fustat, the existing capital and main city of Egypt.
Jawhar organized the city so that two large palaces for the caliphs were in its center, while between them there was an important square known as Bayn al-Qasrayn (“Between the Two Palaces”).
The main street of the city connected its north and south gates and passed between the palaces via Bayn al-Qasrayn.
In this period of the city’s history, however, Cairo was a restricted city, accessible only to the caliph, the army, state officials, and other people necessary for the functioning of the palace city.
In 1171 under Salah ad-Din (Saladin), the city was opened to the people and went through great changes.
Over the subsequent centuries, Cairo developed into a large-scale urban center that eventually eclipsed the previous city of Fustat.
The Ayubid sultans and their Mamluk successors, who were Sunni Muslims eager to erase the influence of the fatal Shiite Muslims, progressively demolished and replaced the fatal structures with their own buildings and institutions.
The seat of power and residence of Egypt’s rulers also moved from here to the newly built Citadel to the south, initiated by Salah ad-Din in 1176.
In the 20th century, the construction of an important road known as al-Azhar Street.
It runs from modern downtown Cairo in the west to al-Azhar and then on the Salah Salem highway in the east, created a major disruption in the traditional al-Muizz road.
Al Muizz street, named after the first Fatimid caliph in Egypt, was built as the main street of the great Fatimid city.
Most of the palaces, mosques, and monuments built by Ayubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman rulers who ruled Egypt after the Fatimid period continued to be built on this street.
To this day, Al Muizz street preserves the greatest density of the most significant buildings and monuments of Islamic art.
Walking through the heart of Islamic Cairo along its entire length, from Bab al Futuh to Bab al Zuweila, one can understand how this street is one of the most important places in Islamic history.
In addition to the series of impressive monuments it is scattered with, its busy surroundings are home to hundreds of craftsmen and merchandise displayed in the Khan el Khalili market.
Rehabilitation of Al Moez Street
Beginning in 1997, the Egyptian government carried out extensive renovations in historic buildings, modern buildings, paving, and sewage to turn the street into an “open-air museum.
On April 24, 2008, Al-Muizz street was rededicated as an exclusive zone for pedestrians between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.; cargo traffic is allowed outside this time.
One of the objectives of the reforms is to approximate the original appearance of the street.
Buildings above the level of the monuments were lowered in height and painted in an appropriate color, while the street was repaved in its original style.
34 monuments along the street and 67 nearby were restored. On the other hand, the nocturnal appearance of the street was modernized by installing state-of-the-art outdoor lighting in the buildings.
What to see in Muizz Street – Top Sights
1- Bab al-Futuh
The “Gate of Conquests” marks the northern end of the city fortifications built by the Fatimids in the 11th century. They used stones from ancient Memphis. The mighty structure is flanked by two round towers. Imagine that at the time of its construction, the road leading under the barrel vault was 5 meters lower than today!
2- Al-Hakim Mosque
Built between 990 and 1013, this mosque is one of the few from the Fatimid period to have preserved its simple layout, with a large courtyard surrounded by columns and a five-bay prayer hall.
3- Al-Aqmar Mosque
Al Aqmar Mosque in Cairo was built as a mosque for the Fatimid Minister Al-Ma’mun in 6-1125 CE. The mosque is located at al-Muizz street which was previously the main street and the beating heart of Cairo, near the palaces of the Fatimid Caliphate.
4- Bayt Al-Suhaymi
This was the residence of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar. Built-in 1648 and enlarged at the end of the 18th century, the beautiful building has magnificent decorations of marble, tiles, and wood. Daylight falls from the courtyard garden through the beautiful wooden lattices of the windows, while the openings in the roof are designed to let the cool north wind into the house on hot summer days.
5- Al-Qalawun Mosque and Madrasa
The Mamluk sultans who succeeded the Fatimids had numerous mosques built in Cairo. This one was built in 1279 and illustrates the aesthetics of Islamic art, which combines magnificent decoration with noble materials: stucco, marble, porphyry, and mosaics compete with each other both outside and inside.
6- Khan al-Khalili
For a visit to the largest souk (bazaar) in Egypt, you have to take your time. It stretches in the Arab heart of the city between Muizz li-Din Allah Street and Saiyidna al-Hussein Mosque. Besides traditional handicrafts (copper, leather), tourist products have flooded the stalls. Nevertheless, the typical oriental flair prevails here, rich in colors and scents. Prices are negotiated here as in all markets, of course!
7- Mu’ayyad Mosque
Built by the Mamluks (1415), it is also called the “Red Mosque” and is the last example of a mosque with a monumental gate. The gate building is richly decorated with stuccoes and black and white marble, framing the gate made of lime wood and decorated with chased bronze plates. The 5.90 m high wings come from the Sultan Hasan Mosque. Worth seeing the mihrab decorated with colored marble and inlays of mother-of-pearl and ivory and the minbar (pulpit with stairs).
8- Zuweila Gate
The beautifully restored gate was built at the same time as the gates to the north in 1092. This was the public place of execution: in 1811 the heads of 500 Mamluks, whose murder Muhammad Ali had ordered, were impaled here and put on display. 76 steps lead up to the 50-meter-high towers, from which you can see over the roofs of Cairo (panels). Above the entrance, you can see a painted ceiling from the 19th century.
9- Beshtak Palace
In the palace, built around 1334, one can admire a very beautiful reception hall (qa’a), 25 meters high, divided into the main hall (durqa’a) and side rooms.
Summary
You can visit this amazing attraction along with many other Cairo attractions on our Cairo day trips that give you the chance to explore Egypt with a private Egyptologist.
