Bab Zuweila

Bab Zuweila is a great historical monument and is among the three city gates of the old Cairo. In 1092, Fatimid vizier, Badr Al-Gamali, constructed it in the western wall of the city of Cairo. This historical gate derived its name from the al-Zawila, a Berber tribe whose Fatimid soldiers lived close by. It is one of the grandest and oldest monuments in Cairo.

In the 19th century, Bab Zuweila in Cairo was renamed as Bab El-Metwalli. He was the commander of the police force during the Ottoman times who was in charge of maintaining public order. His residence and headquarters were located near the gate. However, the name is also associated with that of Mitwalli al-Butb, an Islamic saint, who lived near the gate and performed miracles.

Bab Zuweila at Cairo is alike in design and architecture to Bab (gate) el-Futuh and Bab an-Nasr, the other two gates, but has a richer tradition. There are two minarets from the towers that actually belong to the Mosque of al-Mu'ayyad, which is situated just inside the gate.

The architecture of Bab Zuweila reflects the Fatimid techniques like some Quranic inscriptions, the arabesque medallions at the top of the towers and the medal on the vault above its huge arcade.