Most tourists are probably unaware that Cairo contains the largest concentration of Islamic monuments in the world. Some manage just a glimpse of the Old City, but a walk through the historic center can reveal many monuments every bit as impressive as the Pharaonic remains.

In 868 A.D., Ahmad Ibn Tulun was appointed governor of Egypt and later pronounced himself the independent sole ruler, founding the Tulunid Dynasty. He was a great builder and remodeled much of the city, erecting palaces and a hospital creating public open spaces. His greatest building was the huge mosque which still bears his name and is the only building to survive from his time.

Still the largest place of worship in Cairo, the mosque, with arched colonnades, is laid out around a huge courtyard. There is an unusual spiral minaret, and the building is decorated with bold, but simple, stucco work. This mosque became the prototype for many others built in the following centuries.

Another seldom-visited mosque, currently being restored by the SCA, is the Blue Mosque, founded in 1346 A.D and later decorated with vivid blue floral tiles from Istanbul.