Cairo Maze Generator — Free Online Tool
The geometry
The Cairo maze is built on the famous Cairo pentagonal tiling — the interlocking five-sided pattern seen paving streets in Cairo and prized by mathematicians for its elegant, non-repeating-looking symmetry. As a maze it is genuinely special: the slightly irregular pentagons send corridors weaving in directions the eye never quite predicts, giving a solve that feels both beautiful and subtly disorienting from the very first turn.
How it works
Each pentagonal cell connects to its neighbours along five edges, scattering unusual junction angles all through the maze that you simply will not find in any square, hex, or triangular grid. The compiled C/C++ engine carves the Cairo tiling with the recursive backtracker and renders its distinctive five-sided walls crisply at 300 DPI. Full control over wall colour, background, and line width keeps the intricate pentagonal pattern clean and legible whether the puzzle is printed large or small.
Who it's for
The Cairo tiling is a marketing gift for KDP publishers — its mathematically famous, instantly unusual look makes a cover thumbnail stand out and gives a puzzle book a genuine story to tell in its description. Educators use it to introduce pentagonal tessellations and the surprising geometry of the Cairo pattern alongside the puzzle. Designers borrow the five-sided tiling for distinctive paving textures and ornamental backgrounds. Generate a Cairo maze free now, or upgrade for all 30 geometries plus print-ready PDF export.
Cairo vs. a classic orthogonal maze
| Attribute | Cairo | Orthogonal (square grid) |
|---|---|---|
| Cell shape | Pentagon (Cairo tiling) | Square |
| Connections per cell | Varies (three to four) | Four (up, down, left, right) |
| Solving feel | Interlocking pentagons, distinctive | Clean right angles, easiest to read |
| Print-ready export | Yes — 300 DPI PDF (paid) | Yes — 300 DPI PDF (paid) |
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Browse every geometry side by side, or jump straight into the generator.
All maze types See plans & pricing Read: 30 Maze Types Explained: A Complete Guide to Geometric Maze Styles