Who was Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh?
Before he became sultan, al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh was held in the Khizanat Shama'il prison at Bab Zuweila. Once in power he fulfilled a vow linked to his time there: he demolished the prison and built his mosque in its place between 818 and 824 AH.
The project became part of Bab Zuweila itself. The two towers of the Fatimid gate were used as bases for the mosque's two minarets, joining buildings from two different eras in a single composition that is still clear today.
How did they shape Cairo?
The strength of al-Mu'ayyad's mosque lies in the dialogue between Mamluk and Fatimid. Rather than removing or ignoring the old gate, the project reused it and made it part of the new mosque's image – and these interlocking layers are the essence of historic Cairo.
Al-Mu'ayyad also turned a former place of punishment into a major religious institution, changing both the function and the memory of the site.
Monuments linked to Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh
Where to see their legacy today
Look at the two minarets from outside Bab Zuweila first, then go into the mosque. From here you can continue along the Tentmakers' Street (al-Khayamiya) to al-Salih Tala'i in one connected walk.