Old Cairo
Country: Egypt
Region: Africa
Period: 641-969CE
Location: 30.023889°N, 31.247778°E
Description
Al-Askar was a military and administrative city established in 750 CE near modern Cairo, Egypt. It became the capital of Egypt during the early Abbasid period and later served as the administrative center of the Tulunid Emirate (868–905 CE), the first autonomous Islamic dynasty to rule Egypt independently from the Abbasid Caliphate.
Modern Remains
Much of Al-Askar was eventually absorbed or replaced by later cities like Al-Qata’i and, ultimately, Cairo. While few physical remains of Al-Askar exist today, its legacy is preserved in early Islamic urban planning and administrative evolution. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, though built in the neighboring Al-Qata’i, stands as a monument to the Tulunid era's architectural and cultural influence.