Combining an analysis of Cairo's urban growth from the Islamic conquest up to the reign of Muhammad 'Ali, an overview of its main architectural styles, a descriptive catalog of the major monuments, and a discussion of domestic architecture, this concise and comprehensive study will appeal to specialists as well as beginning students and interested lay readers.

Doris Behrens-Abouseif holds an M.S. in Islamic art and architecture from the American University in Cairo, and a Ph.D. in Islamic history from the University of Hamburg. She is the author of The Minarets of Cairo (AUC Press, 1985).