Unguided Walking tour of Cairo Mosques

For those eager to get inside some of the city’s mosques, there is an easy route that we would recommend in combination with a visit to the Citadel. The unguided walk starts at a square called Midan Salah Al-Din just below the western side of the Citadel. The square is actually a 15 minute walk from the Citadel despite being a stone’s throw away, as you have to wind down the eastern side so a short taxi ride may be recommended if you’re coming from the Citadel itself. To the north-west of Midan Salah Al-Din are the mosques of Sultan Hassan and Rifa’i, similar in outward appearance although almost 600 years separates the two buildings.

An often overlooked mosque in the same square is that of Mahmoud Pasha, certainly smaller than its immediate neighbours but still worthy of exploration since it bears the evocative ablaq style of alternating hues of stone on its exterior walls.

Walking west from Midan Salah Al-Din along Sharia As-Salbiyya, your eventual destination should be the Mosque of Ibn Tulun however a couple of notable distractions reveal themselves along the way. The first is the twin legacy of the Khanqa (a hostel for monks) and Madrassa left by Amir Shaykhu. The two buildings lie on opposing sides of the street yet have almost identical outward facades and courtyard style interiors.

In theory all but a handful of mosques in Egypt are open to tourists and non-Muslims for free. Avoid visiting on a Friday or known holy-day, and it is realistic to pay a small “bakhsheesh” to the guardian who will let you in, and look after your shoes whilst you explore.