OLD CAIRO /
Fustat
Apparently a pool (there are no guides or guide books explaining things, so....) with room for up to 10 people.
The ruins of Fustat must be the least inviting historical site of Cairo. One should have expected more from the first city of future Cairo, built here from 640. There is virtually nothing to see of beauty, and quite little of information. In total, the ruins of Fustat is just rubble. The fact that there is an entry fee (EŁ6, students EŁ3) is pure mystery. Should you take the chance of visiting, the only things worth noting is to the left of the entrance zone, where you can see some statues left on the ground, and a few house foundations in tolerable condition. The pipe system is quite visible many places, and you can make out a few baths here and there. Today, there is really only one remain from Fustat, the Mosque of Amr. But this has really been rebuilt so many times, that it tells more about later periods of Cairo's history. In its heydays, Fustat was quite impressive, with good systems for water supply, sewerage and sanitation. But it had a short life, ending its importance with the construction of Cairo from 969. In 1175 it was razed to the ground by the order of vizier Shawar, preventing it from falling into the hands of advancing Christian Crusaders.
