[5][6] Memphis, the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom and a major city up until the Ptolemaic period, was located a short distance south west of present-day Cairo.

[7] Around the turn of the 4th century,[8] as Memphis was declining in importance,[9] the Romans established a large fortress along the east bank of the Nile.

[b][10] While no structures older than the 7th century have been preserved in the area aside from the Roman fortifications, historical evidence suggests that a sizeable city existed.

[12] The site nonetheless remained at the heart of the Coptic Orthodox community, composed of Egyptian Christians who separated from the Roman and Byzantine churches in the late 4th century.

[14] Intended primarily as a city large enough to house an army, it was laid out in a grid pattern that could be easily subdivided into separate sections for various groups, such as merchants and officers.

Fustat itself was then partly destroyed by a vizier-ordered fire that burned from 1168 to 1169, as a defensive measure against the attacking Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

[16] Count Gabriel Habib Sakakini Pasha (1841–1923), who had become a household name in his time,[c] established the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Old Cairo.

[27] Located on the Nile River close to Coptic Cairo is Roda Island, which is connected by a nearby footbridge.

Several historic monuments are located in the island, including the Nilometer, built in 861 on the orders of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil.

"[32][33] The archeological site of Fustat, which include excavations to the east of the main historical enclave, has been threatened by encroaching construction and modern development.