Mosque of Al-Salih Tala'i

Situated just outside Bab Zuweila, this mid-twelfth-century mosque is among the last major works of the Fatimid period in Cairo. It is unusual for being raised above a row of shops, whose rents once funded its upkeep, giving it a distinctive elevated portico reached by steps. The facade preserves keel-arched niches and carved stucco decoration typical of the era. Over time the rising street level partly buried the lower shops. The mosque marks the transition point where the old walled city gave way to its southern suburbs.