Napoleon’s commanders took the liberty of naming the towers of Bab An Nasr (Gate of Victory) after themselves – and carved their names into it. The entire gate complex was undergoing extensive restoration when we last visited.
Bab An Nasr
Cairo
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.5 MILES
The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…
1.93 MILES
One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…
12.99 MILES
Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…
1.02 MILES
This museum, on the edge of Islamic Cairo, holds one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art and is Egypt's (and one of the entire Middle East's)…
0.59 MILES
Founded in AD 970 as the centrepiece of the newly created Fatimid city, Al Azhar is one of Cairo’s earlier mosques, and its sheikh is considered the…
0.58 MILES
Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…
3.91 MILES
This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…
12.54 MILES
The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. This grand and detailed private tomb is not only Old Kingdom art at its best but also one of…
Nearby Cairo attractions
0.02 MILES
This Mamluk-era merchant's inn dates from 1481 and was undergoing a vast restoration project when we were last in town.
0.08 MILES
Completed in 1013, the vast and starkly plain Mosque of Al Hakim built into the northern walls, is one of Cairo’s older mosques, but it was rarely used…
0.12 MILES
The rounded Bab Al Futah with its delicate carved stone arch and the square-towered Bab An Nasr were built in 1087 as the two main northern entrances to…
4. Khanqah & Mausoleum of Sultan Beybars Al Gashankir
0.18 MILES
Built in 1310, this khanqah (Sufi monastery) is one of the city’s first. It’s distinguished by its stubby minaret, topped with a small ribbed dome. The…
0.21 MILES
With its fully restored paving stones and elaborate mashrabiyya (wooden lattice screens), Darb Al Asfar alley conjures up the Middle Ages – if the Middle…
6. Mosque-Sabil of Suleiman Silahdar
0.21 MILES
This 19th-century complex, built by Mohammed Ali's chief of armoury, combines a baroque-styled kuttab (Quranic school) and sabil (public fountain) at…
0.25 MILES
This is one of about 20 remaining wikala (merchants’ inn) in the medieval city, down from about 360 in the 17th century, when this one was built. All were…
0.26 MILES
This petite mosque, the oldest in Egypt with a stone facade, was built in 1125 by one of the last Fatimid caliphs. Several features appear here that…