“Egypt’s name is always associated with famous monuments such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, as well as the many temples of the south. On the other hand, less is known about its more recent, Islamic-era heritage, especially those places located in the heart of Cairo.”
—From Islamic Cairo in Maps
Cairo conjures images of the Sphinx and nearby pyramids for many, but the city also holds one of the greatest concentrations of Islamic monuments in the world. As visitors can attest, it’s easy to get lost in the maze of narrow lanes that thread the heart of the old city. However, Ayad’s portable guidebook navigates readers to more than 700 Islamic-era (seventh–19th century CE) monuments. Ayad, a geographic information systems professor, divides the historic city into six sections, each with maps describing neighborhoods with significant sites. Ayad guides visitors to the heart of old Cairo between the 1,200-year-old north and south city gates (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the 12th-century-CE Citadel of Ayyubid Sultan Saladin, the 9th-century-CE mosque of the short-lived
and hundreds of other sites. Detailed yet easily deciphered, Ayad’s maps are helpful for anyone seeking Cairo’s mosques, mausolea, caravanserais, fountains and other treasures.