The
Citadel of the Mountain (Qal‘at al-Jabal)
in Cairo is one of the major works of military
architecture of the middle ages. Situated
on a spur that was artificially cut out of
the Muqattam Hills, the Citadel dominates
the city of Cairo and turns its back to the
rocky hills and the desert behind. Founded
by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin) in 1176
AD, the Citadel was a sign of the coming
of a new regime whose roots were foreign
and tastes were military. For almost seven
centuries (1206-1874 AD), it was the seat
of government for the Ayyubids (1171-1250
AD), Mamluks (1250-1516 AD), Ottomans (1516-1798
AD), and the Muhammad ‘Ali Family (1798-1952
AD), as well as a real and symbolic barrier
between the rulers and the ruled. During
this long period, it was the stage upon which
the history of Egypt was played out.
The
Citadel has changed a great deal since it
was first built. Subsequent Ayyubid and Mamluk
patrons, especially al-Kamil Nasir al-Din
(r. 1218-1238 AD), al-Zahir Baybars al-Bunduqdari
(r. 1260-1276 AD), and al-Nasir Muhammad
(r. 1293-1340 AD) divided it into northern
and southern enclosures, rearranged its interior,
endowed it with an impressive number of palaces
and other structures, built a hippodrome
for parades and polo games below its western
side, and surrounded it with buildings, except
on the east, where the rocky hills hindered
construction. The later Mamluk sultans did
not add much to it, but at the end of the
15th century they twice refurbished it. Under
the Ottomans, it was divided into three semi-independent
parts: the northern enclosure contained the
barracks of the Janissaries (the main corps
in the Ottoman army); the lower areas in
the west became the residence of the al-‘Azab
(the locally recruited troops); and the southern
section of the southern enclosure was occupied
by the pasha sent from Istanbul and his troops.
Its interior was reorganized many times,
though its surface area did not expand, but
not much is known about these changes.
The
Citadel was radically reconfigured in the
first half of the 19th century when Muhammad
Ali Pasha razed the few standing structures
that date to the Mamluk period, rebuilt most
of its walls, changed its interior organization,
added a monumental funerary mosque, four
palaces, a hall of justice, an arsenal, a
mint, a powder house, a huge terrace, numerous
barracks for the troops, and established
new entrance routes. It remained the residence
of his descendants and their seat of government
until 1874 AD, when Isma‘il Pasha (r.
1863-79 AD) moved to the newly built ‘Abdin
Palace. During the British colonial occupation
(1882-1946 AD), it became the headquarters
of the British army until 1946 AD, when it
was turned over to the Egyptian army. In
subsequent years, it was slowly acquired,
one section at a time, by the Supreme Council
of Antiquities (SCA), with the last army
personnel leaving the premises in the late
1980s. Its layout was reshaped again in recent
years by the SCA to accommodate tourist movement
around the remaining monuments.
Today,
the Citadel is the most visited Islamic monument
in Egypt. Within the enclosure walls are
several important buildings that are open
to the public, including the famed Mosque
of Muhammad Ali (1828-1848 AD), which dominates
the skyline of Cairo; the Mosque of Sultan
al-Nasir Muhammad (1318); the Mosque of Sulayman
Pasha (1528 AD); Gawhara Palace; and several
museums.
HOURS
OF OPERATION:
Open daily, 8AM-5PM
Mosques closed during Friday prayers
TICKET
COST:
Egyptian/Arab: LE 2 (Students: 1 LE)
Foreign: LE 40 (Students: 20 LE)
Student rates available to bearers of a valid student ID from an Egyptian
university or an International Student ID Card (ISIC)
LOCATION:
The Citadel is
located between Midan al-Qal’a (Citadel
Square) and the Muqattam Cliffs [linkàpop-up
map]
DIRECTIONS:
BY BUS: Bus numbers 174 and 173 stop at Midan Salah al-Din, in front of the
Citadel
BY
TAXI: Ask for “el-al-ah”
FACILITIES:
Restaurant, gift
shops, bank, restrooms
All visitors should dress modestly (i.e. long skirts or pants, no low-cut
shirts or exposed shoulders) and be prepared to remove their shoes in order
to enter the mosques. Women should bring a head covering for entry into the
mosques.
The
complex is wheelchair accessible, although
several of the buildings inside are not
and the ground is often uneven.
Guides
are not provided, but several guidebooks
have been published.
CONTACT
INFO:
Phone: +2/02-2512-1735
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The
Muhammad Ali mosque inside
the Citadel (Jennifer
Willoughby) |
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The area behind
the Muhammad Ali mosque in the
Citadel (Jennifer Willoughby) |
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