The construction of the Citadel of
Saladin was started by King Saladin in 1170
A.D, and completed by his brother, King El-Addel.
It is located on a high hill that overlooks the old city of Cairo.
Saladin built
this fortress to protect the old city of
Cairo, and it mainly consists of enclosure
walls and watchtowers, as well as many, many
gates! As every 120m there are gates into
the Citadel that were built at various times
in history. The architectural plan of the
fortress resembles many of the ones that
were built in Syria and Palestine at the
time of the Crusades. Later on, the Citadel
became a major training centre for the
Egyptian army.
The Citadel was neglected until the Mamluke
Period, in the 14th Century, when
they used it as a residence for the Sultan.
Also, in that Century, the Sultan El-Naser Mohamed added
many buildings, including a Mosque, inside
the castle.
During the Ottoman times, the Turks
installed further reinforcements, and used
it as a residence for the Turkish Viceroy,
as well as increasing the number of
garrisons in the Citadel.
Under Mohamed Ali, there were other
monuments added to the Citadel, among them
the great alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali
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