Cairo Citadel is a beautifully built fortress in Egypt. It is built on a rock detached from the chain of the Moccatam mountains. It was originally constructed as a royal home and as military barracks.
Saladin, the ruler of Egypt built this structure. The construction started in 1176 and completed in 1183. Al Malek El Kamel was the first ruler to live in it. For the next 700 years, the Cairo Citadel was home for Egyptian rulers.
It is also known as ‘Mohammad Ali Citadel’ as it contains the Mosque of Mohammad Ali, built in the memory of his oldest son Tusun Pasha. Tusun Pasha died in 1816.
Quick Facts: –
- The Citadel of Cairo was built during the Ayyubid Dynasty. The structure went through 6 major reconstructions.
- It was considered as one of the most elegant fortresses of the middle age.
- There are a total of three mosques at the Cairo Citadel Mosque of Al-Nasir Muhammad, Mosque of Suleiman Pasha, and the Mosque of Mohamed Ali.
- The Mosque of Suleiman Pasha was one of the first Ottoman-style mosques in the Citadel.
- Today, it is a historical and well-preserved heritage site.
- The most advanced construction techniques of the time were used to build an impenetrable bastion in the citadel.
- It was built on a hill so that attackers can be seen easily. It also made it difficult for them to attack.
- The structure was enlarged in the 13th and 14th centuries.
- In 1798, the French invaded the Cairo Citadel. Napoleon Bonaparte’s army conquered despite all the difficulties they faced.
