Buildings that amaze us

Cairo's cityscape resembles a mosaic, composed of countless historically significant buildings, including more than a hundred mosques. The most famous mosques are the 9th-century Ibn Tulun Mosque and the 10th-century Al-Azhar and Al-Hakim Mosques.

Around 1176 AD, Sultan Saladin commissioned the construction of the Citadel on a hill in eastern Cairo. Its ornate buildings are now an integral part of Cairo's skyline. The Mohammed Ali Mosque, with its multi-tiered domes and twin minarets, is the more striking of the two mosques within the Citadel. With two of the famous "Thousand Minarets," it significantly contributes to Cairo's distinctive oriental character.