Gayer-Anderson Museum.

A treasure trove of Egyptian artefacts from various periods in the country's rich history, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, originally built in the 17th century, is also an architectural masterpiece that oozes heritage and charm. Located in the same complex as Ibn Tulun mosque, you can make a turn at the museum when coming to Islamic Cairo anyway to see the mosque (or vice versa). Despite the fact that it was home to Mr Gayer-Anderson, after whom it is named, for only a couple of years in the 1930s and 40s, he managed to create a unique hybrid museum-cum-home space in which he and his family lived among his collection of oriental furniture, rugs, statues and other objects. Imagine how eerie that must've been! It is now open to the public so you can go for a self-guided tour up whimsical staircases and down half-lit corridors, and behind every corner there's a new thing to be discovered, a small patio maybe, a fountain or a secret nook.

http://www.sca-egypt.org/eng/MUS_Gayer-Anderson.htm

Ibn Tulun Mosque.

One of the oldest and also largest mosques in Cairo, Ibn Tulun is another wonderful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and unwind in its simple splendour. With its many arches and columns it almost feels as if Ibn Tulun boasts several rooms, while in reality it's all one magnificent space that flows seamlessly between the sunlit courtyard and the surrounding building. However, Ibn Tulun is probably best know for its unique minaret with a spiral staircase running around the tower all the way up to the top from where you have unparalleled vies of Islamic Cairo and beyond. By the way, Ibn Tulun is also the mosque featured on the 5 EGP note, so this is the perfect spot to start your tour through all Cairo mosques as represented on the 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 LE notes.

Tunis Pottery.

It still strikes us as somewhat odd that pottery village Ezbet Tunis in Fayoum isn't a more popular weekend destination with Cairenes, especially since you can find at least a few pieces of beautiful pottery made in Tunis in every self-respecting Cairo household. Well, at least in families that take an interest in Egyptian crafts and prefer authentic, local interiors over the internationalized sameness of today's design world. We especially love the bowls and plates by Tunis pioneer Rawya and her team, but each of the workshops and small outlets around the village deserves a visit. You'll always find a few unique pieces to take home. That is, if you travel all the way to Tunis to buy them - which you should. But if you don't, there's a number of shops in Cairo that also stock the ornate yet simple crockery from this most charming place, one of them being Oum El Dunia in Talaat Harb St, Downtown.

Al Hakim Mosque.

For a leisurely stroll far from the traffic that's become a perennial nuisance in most parts of Cairo, make your way to the area around Al Hakim Mosque between the Northern end of the city's old wall and Khan El Khalili market in the South. The narrow street connecting these two sights is mostly reserved for pedestrians and winds its way through a well-preserved and very picturesque part of Islamic Cairo. En route, there's many an antiques shop, eatery or mosque to explore and you can easily get lost if you stray too far from the main drag. Be amazed by the towering minarets and great mansions once owned by wealthy tradesmen. If you're in for some chaos, walk all the way to Cairo's most famous Souk where you can buy everything from plastic pyramids to spices and all sorts of random bric-a-brac. If you don't feel like bargaining, simply turn around and walk back to Al Hakim Mosque that manages to impress with an austere beauty and the refreshing absence of ornaments.

It's a short walk from Bab El-Shareya Metro station on the green line.