Sadly, the tenth-century palaces of the Fatimids (Shiites from Tunisia who gave Cairo its name, Al-Qahira, meaning "the victorious") no longer exist. However, three massive stone gates to their walled city, Bab Al-Futuh and Bab Nasr to the north, and Bab Zuwayla to the south, still stand. Linking them, Sharia Muizz Li Din Allah was the Fatimid main street known as Palace Walk. The newly declared daytime pedestrian zone is lined with working souks and 34 Islamic monuments, including the 13th-century hospital, mosque, and madrassa complex of the Mamluk sultan Qalawun; Beit Al-Sihaymi, a restored 18th-century Ottoman century house; and the 16th-century mosque, mausoleum, and caravanserai of the Mamluk sultan Al-Ghuri (a colorful figure who played polo into his 70s and died in a battle against the Syrians). The mile-long walk takes you past The Khan Elkhalili s copper souk and a women's clothing market selling Saudi-style black abayas as well as Frederick's of Hollywood–style teddies for brides' trousseaus. Continue south under the archway of Bab Zuwayla and you'll reach the tentmakers' souk, which originally outfitted pilgrims' caravan trips to Mecca and today sells canvas items appliquéd with Islamic and pharaonic motifs.

Housed in a refurbished 19th-century printing plant, Makan is the home of the Egyptian Center for Culture Art (ECCA), an organization founded in 2002 to preserve traditional forms of Egyptian music. Performances feature Nubian wedding singers; Coptic monks chanting liturgy; and Zar musicians, traditional healers who use drumming, chants, and body movement to cure ailments. Weekly Wednesday-night gigs at 8 pm attract a cross section of Cairo society. Open daily 10 am to 2 am.

Sufi dervishes whirl to live music Wednesday nights in an arched room at the mausoleum of Al-Ghuri in the historic Islamic district. The 7 pm show is free, but you must buy an entry ticket for the monument.

egyptian art to its glory,energetic,spiritual,sensual,simply great!