April 27, 2023
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has inaugurated two new major Islamic sites and opened them to the public after their restoration work was complete: The Sabil of Ahmed Efendi Selim in the Sayyida Zeinab District and the Abbasid Caliphate Dome in al-Khalifa area.
The Sabil was built by its namesake, Ahmed Efendi Selim, an important official during the Ottoman Period, who built the structure in 1699 AD. The building is rectangular in shape and includes the sabil area on the ground floor and a school on the top floor which was used to teach students how to read, write, and recite the Quran.
The Caliphate Dome was built by the famous queen Shajar al-Dour, the wife of the Ayyubid sultan al-Saleh Negm al-Din Ayyub in 1241 AD and was used as the burial place for two Abbasid caliphs, 15 Abbasid princes, and the burial of one of the sons of Sultan Baybars. The dome contains beautiful inscriptions and decorations.
The restoration and opening of these monuments are part of a larger project to enhance and elevate 100 ancient buildings in Historic Cairo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The project aims at preserving these ancient sites and developing them into touristic destinations.
