Bab Zuweila “Bawabbat al-Mitwali, Bab Zuwayla” in Cairo, Egypt
Facts about Islamic Egyptian Antiquities and the Islamic Egypt History to build the most important historical Islamic monuments in Old Cairo known as Bab Al-Muayyad and what is the price of the entrance ticket and working hours and more about Islamic Egypt Archaeological Sites.
The ancient Bab Zuweila, or as it is sometimes known in history as the Metwalli Gate, is one of the ancient gates in the old city of Cairo, located in the heart of the Egyptian capital, Cairo..
Bab Zuweila Facts
The most important archaeological tourist attractions in the Al-Darb Al-Ahmar area, Cairo, Egypt, the history of the establishment of the gates of ancient historic Cairo and its connection to the execution of Tuman Bay, the last sultan of the Mamluk era, and secrets you did not know before about the archaeological site.
In Cairo, a trip to the Metwalli Gate, one of the most important cultural heritage tourist sites in Egypt. Tourism
One of the most prominent landmarks of Fatimid Islamic Cairo is the seven gates of Cairo, which separate the city of Cairo from its surroundings. They are the gates of (Bab al-Qala, Bab al-Sha’riya, Bab al-Nasr, Bab al-Futuh, Bab al-Saada, Bab al-Kharj, Bab al-Qantara, Bab Zuweila).).
The sultans’ goal in building the gates of Cairo was to defend it against aggressors and facilitate entry and exit into Cairo..
However, Bab Zuweila, one of the few gates still standing on the walls of Cairo, has a number of historical memories that make it a tourist attraction worth visiting..
Bab Zuweila’s fame goes back to the execution of the last Mamluk sultan, Tuman Bay, after Selim I entered Cairo..
Bab Zuweila location in Cairo:
It is located at the southern end of Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Al-Fatimi Street “Al Muizz Street“, the main street in Fatimid Cairo.
The gate is distinguished by the presence of two minarets above it, like twin towers, distinguishing it from other gates of old Cairo..
The gate is the southern gate of the city in the eleventh century, and it was built from some of the ancient Pharaonic stones “Ancient Egypt History“, which were recycled for construction, so you can find some Pharaonic inscriptions on the walls of the gate engraved to this day.
It was built by the Emir of the Armies, Badr al-Jamali, in the year 485 AH – 1092 AD. It was almost facing Bab Zuwayla, which was in the wall of Commander Jawhar and was demolished..
Bab Zuweila in Cairo consists of a massive building block 25 metres deep, 25.72 metres wide and 24 metres high. The pair of towers were added to the gate in the 15th century when the Al-Mu’ayyad Mosque, located inside the gate on the western side of Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah Street, was built by the Mamluk Sultan Mu’ayyad Sayf al-Din Sheikh..
Top tourist attractions to visit in Bab Zuweila, Cairo
The gate, other than the twin towers, contains prominent tourist attractions, such as the Al-Muayyad Mosque, which can be visited and seen as it contains a large courtyard for performing Friday prayers in addition to
A small place, built in the style of religious schools, where the greatest Islamic scholars of the Mamluk era used it to teach Islamic doctrines and jurisprudence..
Today, Al-Muayyad Mosque remains one of the most beautiful Historical mosques in the Bab Zuweila area, and represents a landmark in the architecture of Fatimid Cairo..
If you climb to the top of the twin towers on Bab Zuweila in Cairo, you will be able to see a beautiful view of Islamic Cairo, Al-Azhar Park, and the Citadel of Saladin.
Bab Zuweila and the surrounding area, including Al-Muayyad Mosque, have been recently renovated, but it has maintained its original appearance. If you visit the place, you will find inside an explanation of how the gate was built and the renovation that took place centuries ago..
If you climb the Twin Towers, you will have a unique opportunity to take photos; since both are open for climbing, you can send someone with a camera to the top of each one, where both people can take a picture of the other standing on top of the opposite minaret..
Entrance ticket prices:
The price of an entrance ticket to the Bab Zuweila archaeological area for a foreign tourist is 30 pounds, for a foreign student it is 15 pounds, for an Egyptian tourist it is 10 pounds, and for an Egyptian student it is 5 pounds..
Bab Zuweila visiting hours:
The place is available for visiting from 9 am to 5 pm.
address:
Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Street – Al-Azhar and Al-Ghouri area – Cairo, and can be reached through the following map:
The reason for the fame of this door
The ancient gate or that large gate was famous for being the gate from under which the heads that had been sent by the tyrannical leader Hulagu, who was the leader of the Tatar army, had been hung..
At that time, they had sent or come to Egypt threatening, and this ultimately led to the defeat of the Mongols and then the emergence of the Mamluk state..
The last of the Mamluk sultans, Sultan Tuman Bay, was also executed in the same way. This happened after the Ottoman sultan, known as Selim I, entered Egypt and then sought to annex it to the Ottoman Empire. This preparation was a signal from them to end the rule of the Mamluk state completely..
When was this ancient gate built?
In fact, this ancient gate was built in the year 485 AH, which is equivalent to (1092 AD), which means that it consisted of a building block, but it was very large in size and shape, with a depth of approximately 25 meters, a width of approximately 25.72 meters, and a height of 24 meters, of course, above ground level..
Door shape and design
This ancient gate consisted of two towers with a round shape, and then a third of that building block protruded from them and was protruding from outside the wall. In the middle of these two towers was a somewhat exposed passage that led in the end to the entrance door from that gate.
These two towers rose in a certain way until they reached two-thirds of the usual height in a solid but very strong building. The upper and final third of the door of each of them contained a large room called the defense tree, which was covered from above by a longitudinal vault designated for protection, and which intersected with the presence of a transverse vault as well..
Reason for the name
The name of the place is Bab Zuweila, because it is the gate that may eventually lead a number of caravans heading in the western direction towards that ancient city called Bab Zuweila, which is actually located in the depths of the Libyan desert..
Not only that, but there is also a gate before it that is heavily fortified and has almost the same name, Bab Zuweila, located in the city of Mahdia, located in the country of Tunisia..
The historical importance of Bab Zuweila
Bab Zuweila is the third gate that still resists the effects of time and the enormous amount of neglect that befalls it. This gate comes after the other two gates in Old Cairo: Bab al-Nasr and Bab al-Futuh..
This gate is also considered one of the most wonderful and even the most beautiful of the three gates known in Cairo, and it is the most wonderful of them..
It also has two arched towers in design, located at the base, and they are considered similar to the unified ones in Bab al-Futuh..
But to be fair, they are more round, and Bab Zuweila occupies an area of approximately a square shape, with each side measuring approximately 25 metres long. It has a passageway in Bab Zuweila and a completely domed roof, from which all or most of those decorative elements had disappeared..
What is the price of a ticket to visit Bab Zuweila for Egyptians?
Bab Zuweila ticket fee for adults: 10 Egyptian pounds
The ticket fee for visiting Bab Zuweila for Egyptian students is: 5 Egyptian pounds.
What is the price of a visit ticket for foreigners?
Visit ticket fee: 40 EGP
If the visitor is a foreign student, the entrance fee is: 20 Egyptian pounds.
Note: Facts and secrets of the history will be added soon…
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