Case study: Al- Mui’zz Street

Group 1 : -

Adham Osama Mohammed

Asmaa Abu-Alfetyan Hanafy

“from Bab Al-Futuh to Al-Azhar street”

Eman Hesham Mohammed
Demyana Magdy Sany
David Nabil Yoakim
Rana Atef Shokry
Sarah Khairallah Abdulazzim
Abdulrahman Helmy Ali
Chriten Milad Roshdy
Mohammed Ismail Ahmed

AL- MUI’ZZ STREET, CAIRO, EGYPT:

 Al-Muizz Street is named after the Fatimid Caliph, al-Muizz li-Din Allah (341–365 AH / 953–975 AD), who first
founded this street. He is also the founder of the Fatimid caliphates in Egypt since he ruled Egypt in (358-365AH\
969-975AD). Today, it is the largest open-air museum for Islamic monuments in the world, and a unique heritage
site that was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. The street has borne many names over the
centuries, and in 1937 it came to be known as al-Muizz in honour of the founder of Cairo.

The historical street stretches between two of the gates of Cairo’s old city walls, from Bab al-Futuh in the north
to Bab Zuwayla in the south, passing along many of the significant and uniquely preserved ancient alleys and
streets, such as Amir al-Guyush Street, Darb al-Asfar, Borgowan Alley, Khan al-Khalili, and al-Ghuriyya.

Twenty-nine monuments dotting the length of al-Muizz allow visitors to experience Islamic Egypt from the 10th
to 19th centuries, starting from the Fatimid Period in Egypt (358–567 AH / 969–1171 AD) to the Muhammad
Ali Dynasty (1220–1372 AH/ 1805–1953 AD). These monuments include buildings of various types, such as
those that had a religious, domestic, commercial, or defensive function. Today, markets, vendors, and local
crafts stores line up along al-Muizz ​street, adding to the charm of this historic street.

Bab Al- Futuh, Cairo:

• Bab al-Futuh (Gate of Conquests) 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. Also worth noting are the beautifully decorated
corbel stones above the arch.

Week landmark strong Land mark

Nodes

‫نقط تجمع امام مسجد الحاكم‬ ‫عقد مروريه‬ ‫عقد بشريه‬ ‫ساقيه المعز‬

‫مدرسه النحاسين‬

‫نقط تجمع امام مجم(وعه( قالوون‬

‫نقط تجمع امام مسجد االقمر‬ ‫عقد بشريه عند سبيل‬

‫كتاب خسرو باشا‬

Construction state
material Floor number
Gates District Building no. type
(height) go ba
Gate od fair d

1. Bab Al-Futuh historic stone 22m 

2. Al-Anwar
Mosque religious stone 

• Northern
minaret
33.7
meters
3. Al- Hakim religious high
stone 
Mosque • southern
minaret is
24.7
meters
high

Commercial/
4 residential Brick/ wood 4 floors 

Commercial/
5 residential brick 5 floors 

Copper stores Residential building Jewelry stores 6

Commercial/
residential Brick/ stone 1 floor 

7 Commercial/ Brick 2 floors

residential 

Al-akmar mosque 8 Commercial Brick 1 floor 

9 Commercial Brick 2 floors 

10. Photographer Commercial wood 1 floor 

Commercial/
11 residential Brick 2 floors 

12 Commercial/ Brick 6 floors

residential 

stores

Construction state
material Floor number
Building no. type
(height) goo
fair bad
d

Commercial/
13 brick 6 floors 
residential

Commercial/
14 brick 6 floors 
residential

15. AL- Suhaimi House Museum Brick/ stone 3 floors 

Commercial/
16 Brick 2 floors 
Bab Al-Futoh outside Bab Al-Futoh inside
residential

• 2 floors
17. Al- Aqmar mosque Religious Stone • 2 floor- high 
Residential building minaret

18 Commercial Brick 1 floor 

19 Commercial Brick 1 floor 

Commercial/
20 brick 3 floors 
residential

21. Ahmed Mustafa

Visual elements Swaylam & bros. company
offices stone 3 floors 

Commercial/
22 brick 3 floors 
residential

Commercial/
23 Stone 3 floors 
residential

24 Commercial Brick 1 floor 

25 Commercial Brick 2 floors 

26. Zayed company Offices Brick 1 floor 

Construction state
material Floor number
Building no. type
(height) go ba
od fair d

27. Sabil Historic/ eductional Brick 2 floors

Mohammed Ali 

28. Al-Saleh Najm al-

din dome Historic Stone 2 floors 

29. Sabil Khusraw

Historic/ eductional Stone 3 floors 
Pasha

30 Commercial Brick 1 floor 

Commercial/
31 residential Brick 3 floors 

Motion speed/ intensity 32 Commercial/ Brick 2 floors

residential 

Commercial/
33 residential Brick 2 floors 

Commercial/
34 residential Brick 4 floors 

Commercial/
35 residential Brick 3 floors 

Commercial/
36 brick 3 floors 
residential

Commercial/
37 Brick 3 floors 
residential

38 Commercial Brick 1 floor 

39 Commercial/ Brick 2 floors

residential 

Construction material state Construction material

Construction material state
state Building no. type Floor number (height)
Building no. type Floor number (height) good fair bad Building no. type Floor number (height)
goo
good fair bad fair bad
d
55. Soliman Agha
Religious Stone 2 floors 
Main path 40
Commercial/
residential Brick 4 floors 
mosque
70. Sultan Al-Zahir
Barquq Mosque Religious Stone 4 floors 
56 Commercial Brick 2 floors 
Main gathering area 41 Commercial/ Brick 4 floors
residential 
71. School/ dome of
57 Commercial Brick 3 floors  Sultan Al- Nassir ibn Historic Stone 4 floors 
 Qalawun
Main nodes 42 Commercial/ residential Brick 4 floors

58 Commercial Brick 4 floors 

43 Commercial/ residential Brick 2 floors  72. Qalawun Complex Historic Stone 4 floors 

Main buildings 44 Commercial/ residential Brick 2 floors  59 Commercial Brick 4 floors 

73. School of sultan Historic/ educational Stone 4 floors 
Al-Ashraf Barsbay
Secondary paths 45 Commercial/ residential Brick 2 floors  60 Commercial Brick 4 floors 
74 Commercial Brick 4 floors 
46 Commercial/ residential Brick 5 floor  61 Commercial Brick 3 floors 
Secondary gathering 47 Commercial/ residential brick 5 floors  62 Commercial/ residential brick 5 floors 
75 Commercial Brick 4 floors 

spaces 48 Commercial Brick 4 floors  63 Commercial Brick 5 floors

76 Commercial Brick 2 floors 

77 Commercial Brick 3 floors 
49 Commercial Brick 3 floors 
64 Commercial/ residential Brick 5 floors 
50 Commercial Brick 1 floor  78 Commercial Brick 2 floors 
65 Commercial/ residential Brick 2 floors 
51. Post office Offices Brick 1 floor  79 Commercial Brick 2 floors 

66 Commercial/ residential Brick 2 floors  80. Mosque of sultan

52 Commercial Brick 1 floor  Historic Stone 4 floors 
Al- Ashraf Barsbay
53 Offices Brick 2 floor 
67 Commercial Brick 2 floors 
81 Commercial Brick 3 floors 
68 Offices Brick 2 floors 
54 Commercial Brick 2 floor  82 Commercial Brick 3 floors 
69. Hammam Inal Historic Stone 1 floor 
 Commercial
(jewelry )
Soliman agha mosque commercial Commercial (jewelry )
Residential Commercial Hammam inal El naser barquq mosque
/residential Qalawun El ashraf barsbay
complex and mosque
school

Building order