Sultan Qaytbay Wakala

Qaytbay Wakala is located in the Gamaleya district on Bab al-Nasr Street in Historic Cairo. Originally a commercial warehouse dating to the Circassian Mamluk era, it is considered one of the finest examples of Islamic wakala architecture.

The building consists of three floors overlooking an internal courtyard. The ground floor was historically used as shops for trade, while the upper floors were residential units for merchants. Sultan al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaytbay founded the wakala so its profits could support the destitute in the Two Holy Sanctuaries and Cairo.

Although it was among the largest and most spacious wakalas, it was later subdivided into small residences and significant architectural features deteriorated. Restoration preserved many elements of its original design — intricate carvings, decorative motifs and sections of its painted ceilings. The project became the first private heritage-hotel initiative in Egypt, repurposing the wakala into a boutique hotel with a unique cultural identity.