Quick answer
Bab Zuweila is the southern gate of Fatimid Cairo, built in 1092, and the twin minarets of the Mosque of al-Mu'ayyad sit on top of its towers. At the time of writing you can climb up through the gate and into the minarets for one of the best rooftop views in the old city, then walk south into the covered Street of the Tentmakers.
What is Bab Zuweila?
Bab Zuweila is a massive stone gateway with two rounded towers, the last surviving southern gate of the walled Fatimid city, rebuilt in stone in 1092 by the vizier Badr al-Jamali. It takes its name from the Zuwayla, a Berber tribe whose soldiers served the Fatimid army. With Bab al-Futuh and Bab al-Nasr at the northern end of Al-Muizz Street, it is one of only three gates left from the 11th-century walls.
The gate has a dark reputation. It was a place of public execution, and the heads of criminals and rebels were displayed above it. In 1517 the Ottomans hanged Tumanbay II, the last Mamluk sultan, from the gate, ending the Mamluk sultanate. It is also known as Bab al-Mutawalli after an official who was said to sit by it, and Cairenes long tied cloth and hair to its doors for luck and healing. For the wider story of the Fatimid city see our history of Islamic Cairo.
Can you climb the minarets of Bab Zuweila?
Yes, at the time of writing a ticket lets you climb inside the gate to its roof and up into the two minarets, and the view is one of the best in Islamic Cairo. The minarets belong to the Mosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh (1415–1420), immediately west of the gate. Its builders used the Fatimid towers as ready-made foundations, which is why a 15th-century pair of minarets rises from an 11th-century gate.
The climb is up narrow, steep stone stairs, and the top balconies are small, so it is not for anyone uneasy with heights or tight spaces. The reward is a rooftop panorama: the domes and minarets of al-Mu'ayyad, the Citadel to the south-east, and north along the line of Al-Muizz Street towards Al-Azhar. Inside the gate, the restored rooms usually hold a small display on the gate's history and its restoration by the American Research Center in Egypt in the early 2000s.
What else is around the gate?
The Mosque of al-Mu'ayyad, the Fatimid Mosque of al-Salih Tala'i and the Street of the Tentmakers are all within a few minutes' walk.
- Mosque of al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh: the sultan built it on the site of a prison where he had been held, vowing to replace it with a mosque. Its bronze-plated door is said to have been taken from the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, and the garden courtyard is a calm place to sit.
- Mosque of al-Salih Tala'i (1160): just outside the gate, one of the last Fatimid mosques, raised above street level with shops built into its base.
- The Street of the Tentmakers (Khayamiya): immediately south of the gate, a 17th-century covered market where craftsmen hand-stitch brightly coloured appliqué panels.
Is the Street of the Tentmakers worth seeing?
Yes; it is the last covered market of its kind in Cairo and the best place to buy khayamiya appliqué directly from the people who make it. The market was built around 1650 by the Ottoman emir Radwan Bey, and its narrow covered lane is lined with tiny workshops where men sit stitching geometric, floral and pharaonic designs onto cotton. The same panels line the ceremonial tents used for weddings, funerals and Ramadan gatherings across Egypt.
Prices depend on size and on how fine the stitching is; hand-stitched work costs more than printed copies, which are sold here too. Our guide to khayamiya and the tentmakers explains the craft and how to judge quality, and our haggling guide will help with the price.
How do you fit Bab Zuweila into a day?
Walk here from Al-Azhar Mosque or the bazaar in about 15 minutes, climb the gate around midday, then continue to the Tentmakers' Street before lunch. The climb closes in the afternoon, so do not leave it until golden hour. Taxis can drop you on Ahmed Maher Street at the gate's western side, but the walk south from Al-Azhar Mosque through the busy al-Ghuri market is far more interesting.
The streets around the gate are crowded with carts and motorbikes, so keep bags in front and watch your footing. From here it is about 1.5 km on foot to the Museum of Islamic Art at Bab al-Khalq, or a short taxi ride to Al-Azhar Park.
If you are walking the whole of Al-Muizz Street from north to south, Bab Zuweila is the natural finishing point, but most people run out of daylight first. A better plan is to start the day here while the climb is open, work north through the market to Al-Azhar for lunch, and leave the pedestrianised northern section for the late afternoon and evening.
Bab Zuweila: FAQs
How do you pronounce Bab Zuweila?
Roughly "bab zoo-WAY-la". It is also spelt Bab Zuwayla. Bab simply means gate.
Is the climb up Bab Zuweila difficult?
It is short but steep, on narrow stone stairs with small balconies at the top. Most reasonably fit visitors manage it, but it is not suitable for anyone with limited mobility or a fear of heights.
Why are there minarets on top of a gate?
Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh built his mosque beside the gate in 1415–1420 and placed its two minarets on the gate's sturdy Fatimid towers.
Is there anything to buy near Bab Zuweila?
Yes. The covered Street of the Tentmakers, just south of the gate, sells hand-stitched khayamiya appliqué cushion covers, wall hangings and bedspreads.