The City of the Dead, or Cairo Necropolis, also referred to as the Qarafa, is a series of vast Islamic-era necropolises and cemeteries in Cairo, Egypt. They extend to the north and to the south of the Cairo Citadel, below the Mokattam Hills and outside the historic city walls, covering an area roughly 4 miles long. They are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of "Historic Cairo".
The necropolis is separated roughly into two regions: the Northern Cemetery to the north of the Citadel, and the older Southern Cemetery to the south of the Citadel. There is also another smaller cemetery north of Bab al-Nasr.
The necropolis that makes up "the City of the Dead" has been developed over many centuries and contains both the graves of Cairo's common population as well as the elaborate mausoleums of many of its historical rulers and elites. It started with the early city of Fustat and arguably reached its apogee, in terms of prestige and monumentality, during the Mamluk era. Throughout their history, the necropolises were home to various types of living inhabitants as well.