Bayn al-Qasrayn

Jawhar, who served as al-Mu'izz's Grand Vizier and was most likely an Armenian slave,[1]: 115  is recounted by 14th-century Egyptian Islamic historian, Al-Maqrizi, to have made the conscious decision to move further north and build Cairo on a 340-acre complex instead of develop Fustat.

This power was acknowledged in outer regions like Mecca and Medina, where the rulers in those areas allied to receive assistance and subsidies for protection and inclusion.

[3]: 47  The inclusion of everyday Muslims, Jews, and Copts to Fatimid daily life and royal presentations led to the palace guards closing the central throughway with chains during the nighttime hours to seclude and respect the Caliph as a leader for all.

[5] The shops would pay dues via the waqf, a system of charitable endowments, that contributed to the functioning and progression of education and religious protection of Shi'i theology.

Nonetheless, due to its central and symbolic location, the Bayn al-Qasrayn area remained a privileged site in Cairo, and many major mosques, mausoleums, and mansions of rulers and elites were built along the former plaza, particularly in the Mamluk era.

Structures such as Sultan Qalawun's mausoleum, hospital, and madrasa, a major monument of its time, not only made use of the location but also discretely incorporated parts of the old Fatimid palaces into its construction.

[8] Shops along here included book dealers, spice and nut suppliers, saddle makers, and cloth merchants who sold their goods to the people of Cairo and to other visitors.

[10] Even after the Fatimid era, this avenue was the focus of many civic or religious monuments built by subsequent rulers and governors up to the 19th century, including many major mosques and mausoleums.

[6] While Bayn al-Qasrayn is not a strictly defined area today, the following monuments occupy the former site of the two great Fatimid Palaces, roughly in order from south to north.