One of the most dramatic sites in Islamic Cairo, the Citadel, which was built in 1176AD by Salah El Din, the legendary figure who conquered the Crusaders in Palestine, includes several palaces and mosques that were later built around it, and best exemplify the way in which Islamic history affected art and architecture at that period, such as the Mohamed Ali mosque, built in 1830, which is considered an architectural tour de force.
Several mosques in Islamic Cairo, with their rich architecture, are sights to behold. The Sultan Hassan mosque is believed to have been built with stones taken from the Pyramids; the Amr Ib El Aas mosque is considered the oldest mosque in Egypt, built in 642AD; and the Ahmed Ibn Tulun mosque, erected in 879AD, is the largest mosque in Egypt to still retain its original structure.