Bab al-Nasr (Gate of Victory) is one of the gates of the northern wall of Fatimid Cairo, and opens onto al-Gamaliya Street. It was built in 480 AH/1087 AD by the vizier and commander-in-chief, Badr al-Jamali, during the reign of Caliph al-Mustansir bi Allah.
The current Bab al-Nasr displaced an earlier, brick, gate constructed by Jawhar al-Siqilli, Cairo’s founder. Deeming it insufficient for the protection of the city, Badr decided to construct a new, stone, tower, which he sited farther north. Although this new structure was founded as Bab al-Izz (Gate of Glory, or Power), it continued to be known by the name of the old tower, Bab al-Nasr.
The gate consists of two square towers with the entrance in between. A series of shields carved in raised relief adorns the facade of the gate and its towers. These are likely suggestive of the protective role of the Fatimid fortifications, which are acting as the shields of the city.
