Al-Muizz Al-Deen Allah Street

Al-Muizz Al-Deen Allah Street The origin of the name Al-Muizz-Al-Deen Allah Fatimid Street is in respect of the name in relation to the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Al-Deen Allah, which included Egypt under the Fatimid control. The Street holds great Historical Importance as it is the Oldest Street with an Islamic architecture character in the World, and Al-Muizz Al-Deen Allah Fatimid passed through it for the first time with his Convoy, also Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi and the Historian Al-Maqrizi lived there and President Gamal Abdel Nasser studied in a School situated there, also Al Muizz Al-Deen Allah Street contains many Islamic Monuments. It’s history dates back to the Year 969AD, and is the largest open Museum of Islamic Antiquities in the World because it has preserved the whole archeological buildings until the present Day. When control was taken by the Fatimids in 969 AD of Egypt, high taxes and bad Governing by Ikhshidid Abbasidds, who had ruled Egypt since 905 AD, had destroyed the Region and the Capitol Fustat. So the Fatimids immediately started to inflict their power over Egypt and the People. The new Caliph Al-Muizz started a large construction project, restoring the Canal System and repairing the Roads on which the agriculture in Nile Valley depended on, and building a new Capitol Al-Qatira. The Fatimids who were Shi’a Muslims, looking to expand the impact of their clarifications of Islam over the Lands of the Sunni Abbasid Caliphate and they built Al-Qatira to rival the prestigue of the Abbasid Capitol Baghdad which laid the Foundation for Modern Cairo. Named for the first Fatimid Caliph in Egypt Al-Muizz Al Deen Street was constructed, as the main Street through the Fatimid’s grand City, and whilst much of the Fatimid Capitol was destroyed when Sunni Caliphates retook control of the City, Muizz Street kept it’s importance. Many of the Mosques , Monuments and Palaces of the Mamluk Ayyubid and Ottoman rulers that held control over Egypt after the Fatimids continued on to be constructed along the Street through the City Centre, In the present Day Al-Muizz Street still shows the greatest substance of significant Islamic Monuments anywhere in the World. From Bab Al-Futuh in the North to Bab Zuweila in the South runs the length of Islamic Cairo’s Central Core, and is one of the most important Places in Egypt’s Islamic History, In addition the magnificent Monuments which lye along it’s lengths, also hostes a busy neighbourhood which is Home to Thousands of Craftsmen who make goods to be sold in Khan-Al Khalili, which marks the Midpoint of the Street. To take a walk down the Street and ending with a stroll through the Maze of Shops in Khan-Al Khalili really is a must in any part of a visit to Cairo. Al-Muizz Street makes for an uncomplicated way to experience both Islamic Cairo’s History and the Modern neighbourhood that exsists alongside the aging architecture. The Northern Section of the Street which runs from Bab Al-Futuh to Azhar Street which is close to Khan Al-Khalili, was recently restored, whilst restoration work on the Southern Part of the Road is just beginning so makes for a more difficult visit. Some of the famous Landmarks of Al-Muizz Street are as follows…. • Al Aqmar Mosque. One of the most Oldest and imposing Constructions of Old Islamic Cairo down El Moez Street is Al Aqmar Mosque. This small but distinctive Mosque along Al-Muizz Street is one of the Oldest Constructions in Islamic Cairo. The Builders of Al-Qahira, the Walled City, that Today forms the Core of Islamic Cairo, were the Fatimids who controlled Egypt from 969 untill 1171, originating from Present Day Tunisia, they conquered Egypt and positioned their Shi’a Islamic ideology as the Religion of the State. Al-Aqmar Mosque , or another name for it which is The Moonlight Mosque, has several distinctive archetectual features . It was the first Mosque in Cairo to use an offset Façade, which allowed the Façade to remain Square to the Street front, whilst the rest of the Construction sits at an angle, which aligns with the Qibla, which is the direction of Prayer towards Mecca. • Bayt Al Suhaymi. The Darb Al-Asfar which means The Yellow Way, where Bayt Al-Suhaymi is Located, which is only meters off of Al-Muizz Street, became one of Cairo’s most wealthy Streets, as well to do Citizens competed for the Property close to The Palace Walk, the name was given to Al-Muizz Street in Naguib Mahfouz’s novel of the same name. Constructed in the Seventeenth Century Bayt Al-Suhaymi was one of the grandest Homes in Cairo. Restored in the past decade after having fallen into disrepair during the Twentieth Century, the House is now a beautiful example of Medieval Cairo’s finest non- Monumental architecture. • Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun Mosque. The imposing Complex of Sultan Qalawun was constructed along a famous Historical Street in Cairo which is known as Shari el-Muizz Street in 1284 by Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun. The Complex which houses a Medersa, a Mausoleum and a Mosque, and a Maurista inside it’s Walls. The Mauristan was replaced by a Modern Hospital in the 1920s. The Compex shows off the typical Mamluks architecture at that time. The whole of the outside Windows of the Complex are inspired from the Gothic style, which the Sultan Qalawun was familiar with from the Crusader’s Churches style of architecture. The Complex which is constructed at the Core of Islamic Cairo at a Place known as Bayn Al-Qasreen, or between the Two Palaces, which were names after the two Fatimids Palaces that originally stood there. Similar to most of the Fatimid Constructions in the City, these Palaces were built over by other Controllers who sought to take away the influence of the Shi’a Dynasty. Qalawun constructed his Complex on the Foundations of one of the Palaces • El Ghorya. South of Al-Azhar Street at the beginning of the Southern Section of Al-Muizz Street that leads to Bab Zuweila is the Ghouriyya Complex, where as on the East Side of the Street is the Mausoleum that Al-Ghuri Constructed for himself. Sadly his remains were lost in Battle with the Ottomans and never buried there. The Complex was constructed as a distinctive multi-use Space, which included the Mosque and the Mausoleum. But also a Sabil , which is a Water Fountain, that provided free Water for the People, administrative Space, and a Covered Market amongst other things. Some Sections of the original Construction have been destroyed, but the Wikila Al-Ghuri still stands further East beyond several Modern Constructions.