The Al Salih Tala'i Mosque which stands just outside the Bab Zuwayla, was built by Al-Salih Tala'i' ibn Ruzeik, Wazir of Al-Faiz bi-Nasrillah, the tenth Fatimids Khalifa of Egypt, in 555H (1160). The interior does not differ from that of previous mosques. It has an open Court, surrounded by four roofed hallways, the largest, which is three aisles deep, being the sanctuary. The other three hallways are each one aisle deep. All the arches in this mosque are of the keel shape, built of bricks, and supported by marble columns.

The four external walls are built of stone, faced internally with bricks, a unique feature. A band of inscription in decorated Kufic runs round the edge of the sanctuary arches. The spandrels of these arches are decorated with a series of lobed medallions in stucco, surrounded with decorated borders. Over the arches are square windows of pierced stucco. The pulvins, below the springing of the arches, as well as the support beams are carved with ornament. The ornament of the upper part of the Qibla wall consists of a series of stucco windows, pierced with delicate designs, with colored glass. A band of Kufic inscription runs round each window. The mihrab, in the middle of the wall, is quite simple and the hood is lined with painted wood. Next to the Mihrab is a wooden Minbar of fine workmanship, decorated with geometric repeating pattern based on star shapes with polychrome accents, attributing it to the Mamluk Amir Bakhtimur Al-Jukandar, 699H (1299-1300), and it's the second oldest existing Mamluk Minbar in Cairo after that of Husam al-Din Lajin built for the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in 1296. The Minbar was restored in the early twentieth century, and again recently, it was this Amir who repaired the mosque during the reign of Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala'un.
 

The mosque has three entrances, one in the centre of the north, west and south façade. The north and south entrances are set in a recess in a slightly projecting salient. This recess is covered by a keel-arch, the voussoirs of which radiate from a window immediately above the entrance. These two façades are paneled, each panel having a pointed keel-arch. This scheme of paneling appears for the first time in this mosque, and was later copied in the Salihiya Madrasa, the Mausoleum of Al-Salih Negm Al-Din and the Mamluk mosques which followed. The third entrance is in the west façade. It has a lintel with joggled visors, with a relieving arch above. It once had a double wooden door, paneled on the inner side and carved with beautiful Fatimids ornament. The outer face is plated with copper in panels, pierced with Mamluk patterns; it is now kept in the Museum of Arab Art, and the present door of the mosque is an exact copy of it.
 

This main entrance is under a hallway of five keel arches, supported by marble columns. This hallway, together with the room at either end, form the west façade of the mosque, the composition of which is unique. The façade of the two flanking chambers are decorated with two recessed panels, each having a fluted shell like hood. The flutes radiate from a round medallion, decorated with star polygons. There are remains of two bands of Kufic inscription on the west and north façade, giving the names of Al- Fa'iz bi-Nasrillah and his Wazir as- Salih Tala'i', together with his titles, and the date of foundation, 555H. Its original minaret, which once stood over the main entrance, fell long ago and was replaced by another, which also fell about 1920. This is one of the so called "suspended" mosques, which were built well above the street level, so as to provide a place for shops underneath. This mosque had, until recently, been in a terrible state of ruin, but the Department for the Preservation of Arab Monuments has thoroughly restored it.