Al-Fustat (Old Cairo)

After the Arab conquest in 21 AH/641 AD, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab wanted a new capital for Egypt, refusing Alexandria, the former capital city during the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. Fustat was founded by general ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, making it Egypt’s first Islamic capital.
The city’s name is derived from the Arabic word for “tent”, named after the camp set up by the army of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As in the future location of the new capital. Al-Fustat’s very first building was the mosque of Amr ibn al-‘As, which is also known as al-‘Atiq “the Old Mosque.”