Al-Suyufiyya Street

Al-Suyufiyya is a historic street in Islamic Cairo between Muhammad Ali Street and al-Saliba, home to the 14th-century Palace of Prince Taz and the Ottoman Mawlawi Tekiyya of the Whirling Dervishes. The street is free; the palace and tekiyya charge small fees.

Not many visitors seek out Al-Suyufiyya Street, yet it makes one of the most satisfying walks in Islamic Cairo. The lane was part of al-Qatai', the short-lived 9th-century capital of Ahmad ibn Tulun, and became a smart residential district under the Fatimids and Ayyubids. In the Mamluk era its mansions housed the ruling military class, and the name (suyufiyya, "sword-makers") recalls the smiths who armed them.

The street now strings together monuments from nearly every Islamic dynasty. There is the Palace of Prince Taz, a carefully restored 14th-century Mamluk emir's home with a vaulted reception hall and a library. There is the Mawlawi Tekiyya, an Ottoman lodge of the Whirling Dervishes that still has its octagonal dance floor. And there are mosques, sabils (charity water fountains) and kuttab schools along the way. Walking from one end to the other is a condensed tour of a thousand years of Cairo building.

What to see

• Palace of Prince Taz, a Mamluk emir's mansion that is now a cultural centre
• Mawlawi Tekiyya and Museum, the Whirling Dervish lodge with its original dance floor
• Several Mamluk and Ottoman sabil-kuttabs along the lane
• The link through to al-Saliba Street and the Citadel area

Visiting

• Best time: late afternoon, when shopkeepers are out and the light is golden
• Tickets: the street is free; the Palace of Prince Taz and the Mawlawi Tekiyya charge small entry fees
• Nearby: Cairo Citadel, Salah al-Din Square, al-Saliba Street