The main axis of Cairo was the central north-to-south street known as the "Qasaba" (now known as al-Muizz street), which ran between the gates of Bab al-Futuh and Bab Zuweila and passed through Bayn al-Qasrayn. Under the Ayyubids and the later Mamluks, this avenue became a privileged site for the construction of religious complexes, royal mausoleums, and commercial establishments, usually sponsored by the sultan or the highest members of the ruling class. This is also where the major souqs of Cairo developed, forming its main economic zone of international trade and commercial activity thereafter.