El Fustat - City of Babylon

El-Fustat
In the year 642, an army led by the Muslim general Amr Ibn al-As besieged the fortified city of Babylon and made their seat a little to the north, in a "city of tents" known as el-Fustat. Although Fustat became the seat of the military garrison for the Arab army and a base for future campaigns, Babylon remained intact within its walls. Despite the great religious differences between the Arabs and the Egyptians, the two cities merged into one inseparable urban area, which grew and evolved over three centuries. Other towns also grew as satellites, and it eventually became the Cairo (el-Qahira) we know today, but Fustat was always regarded as the first Arab capital of Egypt. It was also known as the first place of official Muslim worship in Egypt.
The ruins of Fustat became visible in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when interest in Islamic art increased. Unfortunately the first explorers did a great deal of damage to the stratigraphy and archaeology of the site. The first systematic excavations took place in 1912-1924, led by Ali Bahgat for the Museum of Arab Art. In 1964 Fustat was excavated more thoroughly and scientifically when it was threatened by city development, and again in 1970 by the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. Although Fustat was seriously damaged by a fire in the 8th century, it revealed much information about the early history of Egypt in the medieval period.
Fustat was an ancient centre of pottery production, and a new Ceramics Centre is now under construction there (begun in 1996). The new centre will display both modern and ancient pottery. It includes a large workshop, a kiln, an amphitheatre and an open-air museum. There are also plans for a new Museum of Civilisation at el-Fustat, established in December 2002, under the full supervision of UNESCO. The museum holds thousands of artefacts illustrating the development of Egyptian civilisation across all historical periods.
Today there is little to see at Fustat. The main monument is the Mosque of Amr Ibn al-As, founded in 642 and still standing, though little of the original structure remains. The excavated ruins of Fustat can be visited if you obtain permission from the site keeper. The site lies north of the walls of Old Cairo, off Mar Girgis Street. Entry costs EGP 10.