Behind the green curtain: the Mosque of al-Hakim on al-Muizz Street

Behind the green curtain stands one of Egypt’s oldest and most beautiful mosques: the Mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah on al-Muizz Street.

Construction was begun by the Fatimid caliph al-Aziz Billah in 990 and completed by his son al-Hakim in 1013, which makes it more than a thousand years old.

Inside there is a vast courtyard of gleaming marble, pointed arches hung with green curtains, crenellations along the walls and Fatimid minarets that have stood for centuries.

The mosque is undergoing renovation but remains open to visitors. If you are passing along al-Muizz, step in at sunset.