Fodor's Expert Review Bayt al-Suhaymi

Considered the best example of domestic Islamic architecture in Cairo, this coolly luxurious 16th-century merchant's house is huge (more than 6,000 square feet), and with its gardens, well, and flour mill, it resembles a self-sufficient hamlet. As is the case with Islamic houses, the entrance passageway leads to a lush courtyard that is totally unexpected from the outside. On the ground floor are the salamlik (public reception rooms), and upstairs are the haramlik (private rooms). The house and adjacent alley have been restored, making this a charmingly evocative little corner of Cairo.