Islamic and Coptic Cairo

Old Cairo
This area is a must visit; it encompasses three religious institutions. On Marie Guirguis Street you can enjoy a stroll and visit the recently restored Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, Saint Serguis and Saint Bacchus Churches, where the holy family took shelter, the Ben Ezra Jewish Temple (synagogue), as well as, the Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas, one of the oldest in Cairo. After that you can opt for coffee or a soft drink, while shopping at Souk El Foustat next to the mosque, where you can find a collection of handicrafts, lanterns, rugs, antiques and traditional Egyptian clothes, made by the best craftspeople in their fields. All this, in a quiet and tranquil setting of shaded courtyards. Address: El Foustat, Old Cairo. Easily reached by the underground, Helwan line, and you can get off Marie Guirguis station.


Mosques
If you have been to Cairo before, you probably visited well-known mosques such as Al Rifai, Sultan Hassan, Ibn Tuluun and Mohamed Ali Mosques. There are those mosques with beautiful architecture, that many fail to visit, such as: The Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Al-Malik Al-Mu’ayyad Shaykh Raised on the ruins of an ancient jail, it is an outstanding landmark of Cairo’s Islamic monuments and one of the leading educational institutions of the fifteenth century. It is located behind Bab Zuwayla – the southern gate of the old Fatimid City 
 The Blue Mosque
Passers-by surprisingly encounter quite a neglected and unrecognized Bahari Mamluk mosque. Originally constructed in 1346-1347, the mosque has been notably known as the Blue Mosque due to the restoration and modification project completed between 1652-1654, which included redecoration of the sanctuary with Isnik blue and turquoise  tiles outlined with plant and floral designs imported from Istanbul and Damascus. You will find the mosque while strollingdown Shariaa Bab Al Wazir in Tabbana quarter, north of the Citadel of Salah El Din Al Ayyubi Note: Mosques are open daily from 9 am to 4 pm except during prayers. Admission is free