Qasaba Radwan Bey

Cairo, Egypt

Radwan was a Mamluk bey and the leader of a faction known as the Faqariya, and dominated political life in Cairo from 1631-1656. Built in the mid-seventeenth century, his qasaba sits just outside and opposite Bab Zuwayla and is the last surviving covered street in Cairo. It is popularly known as al-Khayamiya, or the Tentmakers' Bazaar, and was originally built for shoemakers. There are shops at street level with double-height residential units cantilevered over the shops, covered by a wooden ceiling pierced with skylights. On the eastern side, there is a small zawiya built into the plan at ground level, and a separately accessed residential block.