century) the main commercial axis of Cairo was a street with a north–south orientation running between Bab Zuweila and Bab Futuh (the southern and northern gates of the Fatimid city, respectively). This street is known today as al-Mu'izz street but was also referred to as the qasaba ("avenue"). It had been the center of the city's commercial and economic activity since its Fatimid foundation. (The famous Khan al-Khalili, for example, is located along this axis.) South of Bab Zuweila, beyond the old Fatimid walls, the road continued south to Saliba Street (near the Mosque of Ibn Tulun) and ultimately all the way to the Qarafa or Southern Cemetery of Cairo. In the 17th century parts of this street were widened and straightened along areas of new construction. Radwan Bey's construction thus helped to extend the main commercial axis of Cairo further south beyond Bab Zuweila as the city developed in this direction. Status in modern times Over time, many of the elements of Radwan Bey's original development have disappeared or been built over, but the covered market remains relatively well-preserved and one of the most impressive remaining examples of purpose-built commercial/economic buildings in historic Cairo. Only fragments of Radwan's mansion also still remain. Restoration works were carried out on the market between 2002 and 2004 to restore the street facades. The covered market was originally built to house shoemakers in Radwan Bey's time. Today, however, the area is popularly known as al-Khayamiya or Souq al-Khayamiya, a market dedicated to the sale of khayamiya textiles, a type of traditional decorative appliqué textile used for tentmaking. Architectural description The whole complex built by Radwan Bey extended around 150 meters along the main street. Some 50 meters or more of this street is covered by a wooden roof pierced with skylights. On both sides of the street, the ground level of the building is built in stone and features large bays or spaces for shops facing the street, while the upper level is built of wood and is supported by thick wooden corbels at regular intervals that allow it to project further over the street. These upper floors provided apartments where the artisans or others could live (a type of building referred to in documents as a rab'). Parts of Radwan's mansion also still remain at the southern end of the covered market, on the western side of the street. Here, a stone