Islamic & Coptic Cairo Heritage Tour

Start atop the Citadel of Saladin, the medieval fortress that guarded Cairo for seven centuries, where the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali commands one of the finest panoramas over the city. Your guide explains how Saladin repelled the Crusaders and why the mosque's Turkish domes look so different from their Mamluk neighbors.

Descend into the heart of Fatimid Cairo to the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, widely considered the finest piece of Mamluk architecture in existence, then lose yourself in the labyrinth of Khan el-Khalili bazaar, where brass lanterns, spices, and centuries of commerce collide in a swirl of color and scent.

In the afternoon, cross to Coptic Cairo and the serene compound of Old Churches. Visit the Hanging Church suspended over Roman bastions, the Church of St Sergius where the Holy Family is said to have sheltered, and Ben Ezra Synagogue, whose medieval documents rewrote our understanding of daily life in medieval Egypt.