Notice to history and archeology enthusiasts visiting Egypt: the Cairo Citadel, also called the Saladin Citadel, opened a new wing on February 19 housing two semi-circular towers, the Ramla and Haddad towers, which are now accessible to the public.
Until then, this part of the fortress was only used for private events and to house army and police barracks.
They have just been restored.
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The two towers were built in the decades following the death of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (who initiated the construction of the citadel) by his successors, Sultan Al-Adil Al-Ayyubi and Sultan Al-Nasser Saladin Al- Ayyubi.
The two towers are in the shape of a three-quarter circle and have two floors.
Twelve other towers are also within the citadel, but they are closed to the public.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Eissa said the opening of this section was part of a broader plan to improve tourism in Egypt.
“
Travel agencies told me that the visit to the citadel does not last more than an hour.
Our plan for the coming months is to extend this visiting time, from one hour to three,
” he declared.
This plan will be formally announced and specified in March 2024: “
This opening is part of the first lever activated to relaunch Cairo as a new cultural product, which we will call ʺCairo City Breakʺ.
We will reveal details in the coming months
.
»
Panoramic view of Cairo
The Cairo Citadel, dating from around 1176 AD, is one of the largest citadels in the world.
Its construction was initiated under the Muslim military commander Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, who later conquered Jerusalem from the Crusaders, in 1187 AD. The fortress, which offers panoramic views of Cairo, was the seat of the Egyptian government for over 700 years.
In 1798, she witnessed the invasion of French troops during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign.
In 1976, the Cairo Citadel was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Two mosques, Muhammad Ali and Al-Nasir Muhammad, and three museums, the Egyptian military, police and Sultan Hassan museums, are housed within the Saladin citadel.
It also offers an unparalleled panoramic view of the Egyptian capital.
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