Bab al-Futuh (Gate of Conquest) is one of the three surviving gates of the Fatimid city walls, built in 1087 by the Armenian general Badr al-Jamali. The gate is massive — two round towers connected by a passageway with massive stone blocks — and remains one of the most impressive pieces of medieval military architecture in the Middle East. You can climb to the top via a narrow staircase (the ticket office is at the base) for views over Islamic Cairo and the rooftops and minarets of the old city.
The gate forms the northern terminal of Al-Muizz Street and is the natural starting point for a walk south through the old city. The adjacent Bab el-Nasr (Gate of Victory, 1087) is also worth seeing — the two gates together give the fullest picture of how the Fatimid city was defended. The interior of Bab al-Futuh has sections of the original wall walk.