Overview
Cairo Citadel or Saladin Citadel in Cairo is a medieval Islamic castle in Cairo, Egypt. The location, on the Mokattam hill near central Cairo, was known for its refreshing breeze and sweeping views of the city. The historic site that includes a mosque and museums is now preserved. In 1976, UNESCO declared it the historic city of Cairo, which was "the new center of the Islamic world and reached its golden age in the fourteenth century", as a world heritage site, covering an area of ​​523.66 hectares.
History
The castle was fortified by the Kurdish ruler of the Ayyubid dynasty, Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi between 1176 and 1183 to protect it from the Crusaders. A few years after the defeat of the Fatimid caliphate, Saladin decided to build a wall protecting both Cairo and Fustat, and the citadel would be the center for that. The effectiveness of the Citadel site was built on a spring below the Mokattam hill, which made the attack more difficult, as evidenced by the fact that it remained the heart of the Egyptian government until the nineteenth century.
The castle became the seat of government when the Egyptian ruler Ismail Pasha moved to the newly constructed Abdin Palace in the Ismaili Quarter in the 1860s.
While the citadel was completed in 1183-1184, the walls of Saladin were still under construction in 1238, long after his death.
This Ottoman mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, the second son of Muhammad Ali, who died in 1816. However, it also represents the efforts of Muhammad Ali to erase the symbols of the Mamluk dynasty that replaced them. When the Ottoman ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha took over the Mamluk rule in 1805, he changed many additions to the citadel that reflected the previous leaders in Cairo.
The mosque is another feature of the castle that reflects the era of Muhammad Ali. This feature, with its large dome and seemingly Ottoman influence on architecture, still shines above the castle today. The previous destruction of the Mamluk palace made space for a magnificent mosque, which was the largest building since the early nineteenth century. The construction of a mosque on the site where the Mamluks once ruled was a clear attempt to erase the memory of older rulers and confirm the importance of the new leader. The mosque also replaced the Al-Nasser Mosque as the official state mosque.
While the citadel was completed in 1183-1184, the walls of Saladin were still under construction in 1238, long after his death.
19th century
The castle is sometimes also called Muhammad Ali Castle (because it contains a mosque built by Muhammad Ali Pasha on top of the castle between 1828 and 1848.
This Ottoman mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, the second son of Muhammad Ali, who died in 1816. However, it also represents the efforts of Muhammad Ali to erase the symbols of the Mamluk dynasty that replaced them. When the Ottoman ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha took over the Mamluk rule in 1805, he changed many additions to the citadel that reflected the previous leaders in Cairo.
The mosque is another feature of the castle that reflects the era of Muhammad Ali. This feature, with its large dome and seemingly Ottoman influence on architecture, still shines above the castle today. The previous destruction of the Mamluk palace made space for a magnificent mosque, which was the largest building since the early nineteenth century. The construction of a mosque on the site where the Mamluks once ruled was a clear attempt to erase the memory of older rulers and confirm the importance of the new leader. The mosque also replaced the Al-Nasser Mosque as the official state mosque.
Mosques
The castle has three main mosques:
Mohamed Ali Mosque
The mosque was built between the years 1830 and 1848, although it was not completed until the reign of Said Pasha in 1857. The engineer Yusef Bushnaq of Constantinople was a model of which the Sultan Ahmed Mosque was in that city. Muhammad Ali Pasha was buried in a tomb carved from Carrara marble in the mosque's courtyard. His body was brought here from Hosh al-Bash in 1857.
Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque
Built in 1318, during the early period of the Mamluk Bahri family, as a royal mosque, where the sultans of Cairo performed Friday prayers, the Hypostatic Mosque today still resembles the appearance of the year 1300, despite several reforms. It is open to the public, although tourists rarely visit it. Parts of the building, which rest on plastered walls, have been reinforced. They also tried to restore the light blue color of the ceiling.
Suleiman Pasha Mosque
Built in 1528, it was the first mosque in the Ottoman style. It was built on the ruins of the old Abu Mansour Qusta mosque.
Museums
The castle also has museums:
Al Jawhara Palace Museum
it is a palace and museum commissioned by Mehmed Ali Pasha in 1814. It was designed and built by craftsmen from different countries, including Greeks, Turks, Bulgarians and Albanians. The official diwan Muhammad Ali, or the hall where the pasha received the guests, contains a chandelier weighing 1,000 kg sent to him by Ludwig Philip Frankoski. The palace also contains the throne of Muhammad Ali Pasha, which was a gift from the Italian king.
Transport Museum
Opened in 1983, it houses a group of unique royal vehicles attributed to different historical periods, from the reign of Ismail Pasha to the reign of King Farouk, in addition to another group of unique monuments associated with chariots.
The Egyptian Military Museum
The Official Museum of the Egyptian Army was established in 1937 in the old building of the Ministry of War in central Cairo. He was later transferred to a temporary location in the Garden City neighborhood of Cairo. In November 1949 the museum was transferred to the Citadel's Pyramid Palace. It has been renewed several times since 1982 and 1993
Visiting dates: -
From nine o'clock in the morning until five o'clock in the evening.
Ticket price:-
Entrance ticket price for Egyptians: -
The price of the entry ticket for Egyptians is 30 Egyptian pounds, on different days.Ticket price for Egyptian students: -
The price of a ticket for students is 10 pounds, provided that the university card is presented for the current academic year.Ticket price for foreigners: -
The price of entrance ticket for foreigners is only 180 pounds.Ticket price for foreign students: -
The value of an entry ticket for a foreign student is 90 pounds.
0 Comments