The Ibn Tulun Mosque is located in the city area of Islamic Cairo, not far from the Citadel. The mosque was built between 876 and 879 under Ahmad Ibn Tulun, who de facto ruled over Egypt as governor of the Abbasid caliphs. It is the oldest mosque in the city and in Africa that has been preserved in its original form. It is still in use today. It is also the mosque with the largest area of any mosque in Cairo.

The Gayer Anderson Museum is located right next to the mosque. It is named after the British medical officer Major Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson Pasha, who lived in the house from 1935 to 1942 with special permission from the Egyptian government. It displays traditional Islamic domestic culture, architecture, art, archaeology and some curiosities. The actual building was constructed between the 16th and 17th centuries.