Mausoleum of Al-Ghouri

Lonely Planet review

On the south side of Sharia al-Azhar, opposite the khan, the grand Mosque-Madrassa of Al-Ghouri, with its red-chequered minaret, and the elegant Mausoleum of Al-Ghouri together form an exquisite monument to the end of the Mamluk era. Qansuh al-Ghouri, the penultimate Mamluk sultan, ruled for 16 years. At the age of 78, he rode to Syria at the head of his army to battle the Ottoman Turks. The head of the defeated Al-Ghouri was sent to Constantinople; his body was never recovered.

His mausoleum (dating from 1505) contains the body of Tumanbey, his short-lived successor, hanged by the Turks at Bab Zuweila. The mausoleum, which has been under restoration for a number of years, may reopen as a cultural centre. Across the street at the mosque, don't be put off by the scaffolding: the interior, small but with soaring ceilings, is beautifully decorated; it's also possible to climb the minaret (for baksheesh; ignore claims of 'tickets').