Citadel of Saladin

Saladin began the citadel in 1176 on a spur of the Mokattam hills, choosing ground high enough to command the city and to catch the wind, and for the next seven hundred years it was the seat of government in Egypt under Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans alike. The building most people picture is much later: the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, finished in the 1840s in an Ottoman style borrowed from Istanbul, with a great dome, two pencil minarets and an alabaster-clad courtyard that gives it its other name. Behind it stand older and quieter things, the fourteenth-century mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad with its faience-tiled minarets, stretches of Ayyubid wall, and a well cut deep into the rock. The terrace on the western side is the classic view over the city towards the pyramids.

History

Saladin began the citadel between 1176 and 1183 on a promontory of the Mokattam hills, to protect Cairo from possible Crusader attacks and give his government a secure seat, and it was the seat of government and residence of Egypt's rulers for nearly 700 years. It took its present form in three great building periods: the Ayyubid of the 12th century, the Mamluk of the 14th under Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, and the 19th under Muhammad Ali, who rebuilt the whole site. Despite its defences it never faced a true siege, and it ceased to be the seat of government in 1874, when Khedive Ismail moved to his new Abdeen Palace in downtown Cairo (Wikipedia, Cairo Citadel).

What's there

• The Mosque of Muhammad Ali - Ottoman domes and alabaster, finished in the 1840s.
• The al-Nasir Muhammad mosque - fourteenth century, with tiled minaret caps.
• The western terrace - Cairo laid out below, with Giza on a clear day.
• Ayyubid walls and towers - the twelfth-century fortress under the later layers.

When to go

October to April. Late afternoon gives the best light on the terrace and the softest view west, though haze often defeats the pyramid sightline. Half a day covers the mosques and the military museum. Fridays are busiest with local visitors.

Things to know

The famous view is frequently lost to haze and dust, so treat it as a bonus. The site is large, open and sun-exposed with long walks between buildings. The military museum inside is dated. Shoes off and modest dress in the mosques.

Nearby

Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai stand below the walls; the City of the Dead spreads to the east.

Key facts