At the end of the 12th century, Saladin built the Citadel as he was a well-known king and military leader who started the Ayubid dynasty. Many vital events in Egyptian history took place in the castle.
It was where the King of Egypt and his government lived for a long time. Several dynasties ruled Egypt from the Citadel, such as the Ayubids, Mamluks, and even some Ottomans.
The Citadel has always been an essential part of Egyptian politics at different times. In some cases, one of the kings was in charge of Cairo, and the sultan or governor was in the order of the castle. The Citadel stopped many violent attacks on Egypt over the years.
During its long history, the Citadel of Saladin has been home to several important buildings. The beautiful Muhammad Ali Mosque is one of the best examples of Ottoman architecture in Egypt. There is also the Al-Nasir Muhammad Al-Mamluki Mosque and the charming little Mosque of Suleiman Pasha Al-Khadim.
Today, Saladin’s Citadel is one of the most visited historical sites in Cairo and is included in almost every tour of the capital.
In addition to the mosques, the castle houses four exciting museums:
(The Military Museum, the Police Museum, the Royal Coach Museum, and the Jewel Palace Museum).
The castle is located on top of a high cliff. From there, tourists can enjoy a great view of the busy city of Cairo.
Why was the castle built, and where:
Saladin took control of Egypt when the Fatimids, who ruled Egypt from the eighth to the twelfth centuries, did not put up much fighting. And he decided that Cairo should have a fortress to protect it from future external attacks, especially since the Crusaders were fighting in the Middle East then.
Saladin got a lot of insights into how strong and secure the castles in Syria and Lebanon were. He knew Cairo needed a giant fortress to protect it, so he used all his resources to build the military structure.
Saladin looked at many places in and around Cairo before building his castle on Mokattam Hill. From there, it would have a good view of the entire city and be high enough to give the occupiers a strong advantage if attacked.
How was Saladin Citadel built:
Construction of the castle began in 1176 when Saladin was in charge. But this was not done until 1182 when al-Malik al-Kamil was in order. Al-Malik al-Kamil was the first king to live in the castle—the rule of Egypt after Saladin.
Saladin insisted that a strong fortress was the only way to protect Cairo from all kinds of dangers. It is said that he destroyed some of the small pyramids in Giza so that he could use their stones to build his castle and its walls. Many of the soldiers in Saladin’s army helped create the court, along with some Crusaders who Saladin had captured. It was considered a masterpiece of modern military architecture when it was completed.
Saladin also dug a well in the castle so soldiers could use it if attacked. People believe this fountain was one of the most challenging things to build in the 12th century. It was 90 meters deep and was a true marvel, carved into the hardest rocks of the Mokattam Mountain.
The Citadel of Saladin in Cairo is believed to be one of the most beautiful castles built in the Middle Ages because of its strategic location, which provides a sweeping view of Fustat and Cairo, the two closest cities at that time.
Also, Saladin’s Citadel was between the two cities, so it was an excellent place to go if Cairo was captured. It was everything a castle should be.
Historical events in the castle:
During the Ayyubid and Mamluk eras in the history of Egypt, Saladin’s Citadel in Cairo was the site of many important events. During Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, the castle was also essential to the city’s defence until French soldiers breached the castle walls.
The Ottoman Sultan Muhammad Ali was sent to Istanbul to assume the presidency of Egypt. However, he had plans to break away from the Ottoman authority that ruled Egypt from the Citadel in the 19th century, making Egypt an independent country.
Al-Jawhara, or Al-Jawhara Palace, is now a museum in Saladin’s Citadel. There Muhammad Ali summoned the Mamluk leaders and brutally murdered them in a political event known as the “Castle Massacre”.
The gates of Saladin’s Citadel
1- El Mokatam Gate
This gate was called the El Mokatam Gate because it was built close to the Mokatam watchtower on the Citadel. During the time of the Ottomans, this gate was built. It is now called the Salah Salem Gate, after the street where it is today.
South of Mokatam Tower, the Gate of Mokatam was built inside a thick hard rock wall. In 1785, when Mohamed Yakan Pasha was in charge, he made a palace near his gate and added a wall with several balconies. History, though, took its toll, and the castle was destroyed.
When Mohamed Ali was the ruler of Egypt, he did much work on the Saladin Citadel. For example, he paved a 650-meter-long path between Bab El Mokatam in the Citadel and the road below.
Time and weather have damaged the gate of El Mokatam, and many of the walls around it were destroyed when the Egyptian government built Salah Salem Road in 1955. A new door was made to let people into the Citadel.
2- Bab Ed Haddad or the Iron Gates
In 1822, Mohamed Ali started building the Iron Gates. It was meant to be the main gate to Saladin’s Citadel because it could let in more enormous cannons and other equipment. Mohamed Ali also built the Street of Bab El Hadeed, which connects this gate to the rest of Cairo.
The Iron Gate has two main sides: the north side, which faces Bab El Hadeed Street near Dar El Mahfozat, and the old archive building, which used to be connected to the Citadel and is now about 15 metres long and 18 metres high.
Some of the Iron Gates of Saladin’s Citadel architectural features, like the plaque with information about how the gate was built, can be seen on the north side of the building.
3- The Middle Gate
Historians have argued for a long time about where this gate’s name came from. Some say it was called the Middle Gate because it was in the middle of the two administrative buildings of Sultan El Khoury and Sultan Qalauan.
Some people think it was called the middle gate because it was between the Iron Gate and the El Mokatam Gate, the other two main gates of the Citadel.
In 1826, Mohamed Ali fixed this gate and its walls. This was a big part of the work he did to fix up and fix up the Saladin citadel. Under Mohamed Ali, more buildings were added to the Citadel. The large alabaster mosque of Mohamed Ali is a must-see building.
The Citadel of Saladin will always be among the best in Cairo. Some of the most exciting things to do on a tour of Egypt’s capital are to visit the Mosque of Mohamed Ali, the Military Museum, the beautiful architecture of the Citadel, and Cairo from above.