Old Cairo
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Old Cairo is a historic area in Cairo, Egypt, which includes the site of a Roman-era fortress, the Christian settlement of Coptic Cairo, and the Muslim-era settlement of Fustat that pre-dates the foun
Old Cairo, view of the Hanging Church
Excavated ruins of Fustat (2017 photo)
The narrow streets of Coptic Cairo, inside the former Babylon Fortress
Interior of the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo
Fustat
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Fusṭāṭ was the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule, nowadays part of Cairo. It was built adjacent to what is now known as Old Cairo by the Rashidun Muslim general ʿAmr ibn ul-ʿĀṣ immediately afte
Old Cairo
…area in Cairo, Egypt, which includes the site of a Roman-era fortress, the Christian settlement of Coptic Cairo, and the Muslim-era settlement of Fustat that pre-dates the founding of Cairo proper in 969 AD. It is part of what is referred to as Historic Cairo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Miṣr al-Qadīma…
A drawing of Fustat, from Rappoport's History of Egypt
The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As. Though none of the original structure remains, this mosque was the first one built in Egypt, and it was around this location, at the site of the tent of the commander Amr ibn al-As, that the city of Fustat was built.
Lustreware Plate with Bird Motif, 11th century. Archaeological digs have found many kilns and ceramic fragments in Fustat, and it was likely an important production location for Islamic ceramics during the Fatimid period.
The ruins of Fustat in Old Cairo