Khayrbek Complex

Cairo

LoginSave

Emir Khayrbek, governor of Aleppo under Sultan Al Ghouri, defected to the Ottoman side in 1516, which effectively ended Mamluk rule. He then became the governor of Egypt under Selim I. Khayrbek’s mausoleum and a mosque, built in 1521, are the anchors of this clutch of buildings, but what’s interesting is how other structures – the 13th-century Alin Aq Palace, plus several later Ottoman houses – are all interconnected. The mosque’s brick minaret sits on a Pharaonic stone block with hieroglyphs.

Despite official opening hours, it is often kept locked.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Pyramids of Giza during sunset.

    Pyramids of Giza

    8.61 MILES

    The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…

  • A guide briefs tourists before canopic jars which contained the organs of the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC) at his tomb KV62, displayed with the Tutankhamun collection at the Egyptian Museum in the centre of Egypt's capital Cairo on November 6, 2022. - The resting place of Egypt's pharaoh Tutankhamun has become the world's most famous tomb, its discovery 100 years ago among the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

    Egyptian Museum

    1.81 MILES

    One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…

  • It is the most remarkable construction of the necropolis of Saqqara, south of the city of Memphis. Some tourists walk next to the pyramid..Saqqara, Egypt. March 27, 2008

    Saqqara

    11.69 MILES

    Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…

  • View of the Citadel from Al-Azhar Park

    Al Azhar Park

    0.33 MILES

    With funds from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, what had been a mountain of garbage, amassed over centuries, was in 2005, almost miraculously, transformed…

  • Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo.

    Al Azhar Mosque

    0.72 MILES

    Founded in AD 970 as the centrepiece of the newly created Fatimid city, Al Azhar is one of Cairo’s earlier mosques, and its sheikh is considered the…

  • The minaret of Qalawun complex rises over Al-Muizz street.

    Sharia Al Muizz Li Din Allah

    0.77 MILES

    Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…

  • The Coptic Museum in Cairo, Egypt.

    Coptic Museum

    2.71 MILES

    This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…

  • Cairo, Egypt - December 24, 2017: Mihrab of Manial Palace mosque decorated with intricate golden patterns on carved wood, muqarnas in arch, bright blue tiles inside of niche, on December 24 in Cairo

    Manial Palace

    1.86 MILES

    After a years'-long restoration period, this palace complex, built by the uncle of King Farouk, Prince Mohammed Ali, in the early 20th century, has once…

View more attractions

Nearby Cairo attractions

1. Blue Mosque

0.06 MILES

Built in 1347 and well restored in 2015, this building is highly touted by would-be guides, but it’s nothing like its Istanbul namesake. It’s classic…

3. Mosque of Al Maridani

0.29 MILES

This 1339 building incorporates architectural elements from several different periods: eight granite columns were taken from a Pharaonic monument; the…

4. Mosque of Ar Rifai

0.29 MILES

Opposite the grand Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, the Mosque of Ar Rifai is constructed on a similarly imposing scale, begun in 1869 and not finished…

5. Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan

0.32 MILES

Massive yet elegant, this grand structure is regarded as the finest piece of early Mamluk architecture in Cairo. It was built between 1356 and 1363 by…

6. Site of the Massacre of the Mamluks

0.33 MILES

From the terrace near the Police Museum you can look down into the narrow entrance where 470 Mamluk beys (governors) were killed by Mohammed Ali's troops…

7. Al Azhar Park

0.33 MILES

With funds from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, what had been a mountain of garbage, amassed over centuries, was in 2005, almost miraculously, transformed…

8. Police Museum

0.35 MILES

The quirky but flyblown Police Museum is located within the Citadel's old prison building. Inside are displays of famous political assassinations,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "egypt/cairo/attractions/khayrbek-complex/a/poi-sig/1431128/355225",
  "destination": "Cairo",
  "continent": "Africa",
  "country": "Egypt",
  "city": "Cairo",
  "position": "superzone"
}