Islamic heritage · Cairo
Bayt al-Razzaz
A vast Mamluk-era urban mansion in the heart of old Cairo's Darb al-Ahmar, with about 190 rooms and craft workshops.
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The story
The original house is attributed to Sultan Qaytbay in the 15th century and grew in stages to more than 190 rooms and two large courtyards. Its present form came from joining two neighbouring houses of large families after they intermarried, credited to Ahmad Katkhuda al-Razzaz in the late 18th or early 19th century, depending on the source. It stands in the Darb al-Ahmar district on a plot of about 3,400 square metres and was abandoned in the 1960s. The eastern building was restored between 1977 and 2007, and it now hosts workshops of local craftspeople.
Good to know
- The complex has more than 190 rooms and two large courtyards, one eastern and one western.
- The eastern building was restored between 1977 and 2007.
- The property covers about 3,400 square metres.