Known as the "Mother of the World", Cairo has one of the highest concentrations of Islamic architectural treasures in the world. This introduction to the subject begins with an analysis of the Cairo's urban growth from the Islamic conquest in 641 through to the Ottoman Period and the reign of Muhammad Ali at the beginning of the 19th century. From that point, the reader is given a guided tour of the evolution of Cairo's Islamic architecture and an overview of its main styles through the investigation of monuments spanning 1200 years. The book also includes a descriptive catalogue of the major monuments from the early Islamic period through the Fatimid, Ayyubid, Bahri Mamluk, Circassian Mamluk and Ottoman periods.