Citadel of Saladin in Cairo Egypt
Discover Islamic Egypt History, facts and map of the most important Islamic Egyptian landmarks and monuments, Islamic archaeological sites in Egypt “Islamic Egyptian Antiquities‘, what is inside, and how much is the entrance ticket to the military castles, the Citadel of the Mountain in Mokattam, and more.
Cairo Citadel, or as it is called the Citadel of Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi, is one of the most famous military castles that were built in the Middle Ages.
The castle is located on top of the Mokattam Mountain and is surrounded by strong and impregnable walls.
Learn about the history of the castle’s construction, visiting hours, and the prices of tickets to enter the castle..
Citadel of Saladin Facts
History of the establishment of the most important historical monuments in Cairo, Egypt. Important information and secrets of the castle’s interior design, architectural design, visiting hours, ticket prices, and more.
The construction of Muhammad Ali Pasha Citadel began during the reign of the leader Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi in the twelfth century and was completed in the year 614 AH during the reign of King al-Adil. The purpose of building the citadel was to protect Cairo from enemies in the Rabwa area on top of the Muqattam Mountain..
All the buildings and gates located below the road to the castle date back to the Ottoman era. In addition, the area of the castle has not changed and has remained the same, surrounded by towering walls. The Citadel of Muhammad Ali has witnessed many internal developments by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the rulers of Egypt throughout the ages..
The castle includes Bab al-Mudraj, which is considered the main gate, and there is an inscription above the gate with commemorative texts for the commander Salah al-Din and the minister Baha al-Din Qaraqush, in addition to the new gate, which was built by Sultan Muhammad Ali in 1241 AH, as for Bab al-Mudraj, it also includes Bab al-Jabal and Bab al-Azab, which were built during the reign of Prince Radwan Katkhuda in 1186 AH..
The Citadel of Saladin contains many historical buildings, which are (Yusuf al-Halazuni Well, Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun Mosque, Sariya al-Jabal Mosque, Ahmed Katkhuda al-Azab Mosque, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Archives House, War Museum, Police Museum, Vehicle Museum).).
The main entrance to the Citadel of Mohamed Ali is from the southern side, from Salah Salem Street, next to the Egyptian Tombs.
The Mosque of Mohamed Ali is considered one of the most important famous tourist attractions that tourists visit when visiting the Citadel..
Mosques and monuments in the Citadel of Saladin:
Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel of Saladin
Muhammad Ali Mosque in the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo, Egypt | Facts about the construction of the Alabaster Mosque and the history of the Alabaster Mosque, the oldest and most important Islamic heritage mosques in the Ottoman style and more.
Alabaster Mosque is one of the Historical mosques in Cairo. It was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha. The mosque is in the Ottoman style, which is similar to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Learn more about the mosque below..
When was the Muhammad Ali Mosque built?
The mosque was built from 1830 AD to 1848 AD..
How many minarets are there in the mosque?
Number of minarets: two.
How tall is the minaret?
The height of the minaret reaches 84 meters..
How many domes are there in the mosque?
The mosque has a large dome, four small domes and five semi-domes..
What is the diameter and height of the dome?
The diameter of the dome is 21 meters, while the height of the dome is 52 meters..
The mosque was built in the nineteenth century, dating back to the era of the Brook. Muhammad Ali built the mosque in 1830 AD, corresponding to 1246 AH..
Commander Muhammad Ali was an officer in the Turkish army of Albanian origin. He assumed the rule of Egypt in 1805 AD, and remained in power until 1848 AD. After that, his family continued to rule Egypt until 1952 during the reign of King Farouk..
The mosque was called by three names::
Muhammad Ali Mosque, named after Sultan Muhammad Ali, the founder of the mosque. The Citadel Mosque, named after the mosque inside the Citadel of Saladin. The Alabaster Mosque, where the walls were covered with a height of 11 meters from the inside and outside with alabaster or marble, one of the best types of Egyptian stones found in Upper Egypt..
Design of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha in the Citadel of Saladin
The mosque was designed in the Ottoman style, the same design as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul (the Blue Mosque in Turkey).
The ceilings of the mosque were decorated in the Rococo or Baroque style, an Islamic form to preserve the religious identity of the mosque.
It consists of a courtyard and a large prayer hall. In the central dome, you will see an oval blue and red shape for religious texts “In the name of God”, “What God wills”, “Blessed be God” repeated in a unique way with the red color in Islamic decorations..
You will see the spherical triangle with the names of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs written on it “Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali” located in the space between the dome and the half-domes, in addition to the text “There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God” written on the half-dome in the mihrab..
Inside the mosque you will see two pulpits, the green wooden pulpit which was made during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Ali, or the smaller pulpit made of stone during the reign of King Farouk in 1939 AD..
The reason for building two pulpits in the Muhammad Ali Mosque is that the large pulpit is a great distance away from the place of the mihrab or the place of the prayer direction, so the imam at that time would step over the necks of the worshippers, until the microphone was invented and the stone pulpit was invented to solve the problem and spread the sound in the place to a large extent..
Muhammad Ali Mosque from the inside:
The prayer qibla of the mosque was built from alabaster and the wall was covered with 23-karat gold in the form of a sunbeam coming out of the verse: “We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward the heaven, so We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram.” God Almighty is Truth..
The mosque has 3 doors, one overlooking the open courtyard and two overlooking the palace. In the middle of the courtyard you will see unique plant decorations in the form of a small octagonal dome topped by a larger dome with shelves resting on 8 columns of high-quality marble..
The prayer hall is designed in a square shape and above it is a large dome with a diameter of 21 meters and a height of 5 meters. The dome is supported by four square-shaped shoulders, in addition to the dome being surrounded by four halves so that each corner of the square is covered by another small dome..
The tomb of Sultan Muhammad Ali is located in the southwestern corner of the prayer house, where you will find a very luxurious copper chamber surrounding the marble tomb.
You will see Quranic verses from Surat Fussilat on the tomb, in addition to a fez above the tombstone to indicate that the deceased was from the ruling Turkish family, and a Quranic verse is written on it: “Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.”“
Sultan Muhammad Ali recommended that no member of the family be buried on it, so special graves were made for the family in Al-Rifa’i Mosque.
The method of burying Sultan Muhammad Ali is below the marble structure, 2 meters below the ground..
On the western side you will see a large dish in the copper clock tower with the bronze chandelier, where the commander Louis Philippe presented the copper clock tower to Sultan Muhammad Ali in 1845 AD in exchange for the Egyptian obelisk, the most famous of the Pharaohs’ Obelisks, which has now been transferred to the Place de la Concorde in France and belongs to King Ramses II, the most famous of the Egyptian Pharaohs kings of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt in the era of the The New Kingdom, from the Luxor Temple “Thebes” in southern Egypt..
At the end of the western side, you will find two Ottoman-style minarets that resemble a pencil and are 84 meters high. Through the two minarets, you can ascend to your harem and private corridors..
History of the construction of the Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali is located inside the Citadel of Saladin, where Muhammad Ali built it inside a section of the land of the Ablaq Palace inside the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo. The mosque is considered the most beautiful of the buildings that Muhammad Ali built..
The design of the mosque goes back to the Turkish engineer “Yusuf Bushnak”, who designed the mosque. He copied the horizontal plan of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, including the courtyard and the fountain, with some minor changes..
Construction began in 1246 AH (1830 AD), and work continued uninterrupted until he died in 1265 AH (1848 AD), and was buried there. Then Abbas Pasha I ordered the completion of its decorations..
It is an architectural masterpiece, as it is very similar to the Blue Mosque in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, as the mosque consists of a rectangular shape divided into two sections, the first is the eastern section, which is the prayer house or the mosque sanctuary, and the western section is the courtyard in the middle of which is a fountain for ablution. Each of the two sections has two opposite doors, meaning that the mosque has four doors.
From the door in the middle of the sea wall of the mosque, we enter the courtyard, which is a large courtyard with an area of about 53 x 54 meters, under which is a cistern, and surrounded by four arcades with arches. They are supported by marble columns that carry small domes engraved on the inside and covered on the outside with lead panels and copper crescents..
Next to it is the Sultan Al-Mansur Qalawun complex, and there is also a group of other mosques near it, such as Al-Rifai Mosque and Sultan Hassan Mosque..
Suleiman Pasha Mosque – Sariyat al-Jabal Mosque
Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun Mosque in the Citadel of Saladin.
Saladin Citadel Square:
The Citadel Square overlooks the 5 most important heritage mosques, which are (Sultan Hassan Mosque and School, Jawhar Al-Lala Mosque and School, Qani Bay Al-Rumaah Mosque and School, Al-Mahmoudia Mosque, Al-Rifai Mosque).).
Sultan Hassan Mosque:
Jawhar Al Lala Mosque and School:
Jawhar School is located in Salah El-Din Citadel Square, on a hill directly behind Qani Bay Al-Ramah School. It can be reached via a flight of stairs..
Prince Jawhar al-Lala, from the Circassian Mamluk era, who worked as a private tutor for the Sultan’s children, established the school in 1429 AD.
It consists of a large hall, two iwans, and two small-area canopies, in addition to all school accessories..
You will see a “veil-style” fountain topped with an inscription next to a memorial entrance, in addition to a facade with a Mamluk minaret and an extended dome, in addition to a small side entrance to the school..
Qani Bay Al Ramah School:
The school is located in the Citadel Square. The school was founded by Prince Sultan Al-Ghouri, who was famous for throwing spears and worked as a general supervisor of the royal horse stables. The school consists of a hall, two iwans and two curtains..
The school overlooks the square with a facade that includes a dome of two shrines, a memorial entrance, a Mamluk minaret, and a fountain topped with a book..
The dome was decorated with uniquely engraved plant motifs, in addition to a Mamluk minaret with two inverted dome heads from a square body, where you will find the muezzin’s balcony supporting the pavilion..
You will see the Mamluk style windows of the fountain with metal grilles. The fountain is topped with a lintel, a pediment and an arch above a book covered with wooden flaps that were used to protect children and students from the sun and rain in the winter..
Al-Mahmoudia Mosque:
The mosque was designed in the Ottoman style and was built by Mahmoud Pasha, the Ottoman ruler of Egypt, in 1576 AD. The mosque consists of a closed prayer hall and is divided from the inside into a hall and two iwans..
The facade of the mosque includes an Ottoman minaret in the shape of a pencil, and overlooks a square with a famous facade with the same design as the Al-Rumaah Mosque and the Jawhar and Al-Lala School..
You will see a distinctive memorial entrance with an arched door opening preceding the precious lintel and the ancient arch, and the general appearance of the entrance is complete and unique in terms of design and decorations..
Al-Rifai Mosque:
Royal Tombs in Saladin Citadel
Cemeteries were allocated for the burial of the royal family attached to Al-Rifai Mosque, where you will find in the north-eastern direction the burial of (Khoshyao Hanem, the wives of Khedive Ismail, Khedive Ismail, Sultan Hassan Kamel, Sultan and Khedive Abbas Hilmi).
The Royal Tombs Mosque is 75 years old and is one of the important archaeological landmarks in the Citadel of Saladin..
Gates of the Citadel of Saladin
Cairo Citadel (Salah El Din Citadel) comes with five gates with different names, here is information about each gate below:
Mokattam Gate
It was named after the location next to the Mokattam Tower, and it was also called Bab Al-Jabal..
Muhammad Ali Pasha made a connection between Bab al-Jabal and his citadel in Muqattam. The connection was 650 metres long..
When Salah Salem Road was paved in 1955, the gate was exposed to many factors, which led to the loss of the gate’s features and the demolition of the stairs..
The middle door
The reason for naming the door with this name is that it is located between the Diwan of Qaitbay and the Diwan of Al-Ghouri..
The gate is also called the Drummers’ Gate because it is located next to the House of Justice, which was built as a house for drummers..
Muhammad Ali Pasha renovated this gate, but the exact date of this renovation is not known..
New door
This gate was built by Muhammad Ali in 1827 to be replaced by Bab al-Madraj..
The new gate has two facades, the first is to the north and overlooks the quarry track, and also overlooks the old archives house. The length of the facade is 15.50 metres and the height is between 16 and 20 metres..
The northern facade of the gate contains a group of architectural details, including a prominent line with the saying “O Opener of Doors.”“
The facade has decorations and drawings of the Egyptian army and weapons..
Castle door
The castle gate is the inner gate. It separated the Jablah Castle from the royal city located to the south..
Another gate in the castle is Bab Al-Azab, which is one of the largest ancient Islamic structures..
Bab Al-Azab consists of two large towers with a round facade, and on each tower there is a room used to throw boiling oil to confront enemies..
Antiquities inside the Citadel of Saladin
Cairo Citadel (Salah El-Din Citadel) contains a large group of Egyptian tourist attractions. Learn about them below.:
Joseph’s Well in the Citadel of Saladin
The most important historical monuments in the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo, Egypt. Information and secrets about the history of the well’s construction, the reason for its name, and the engineering design to start your cultural tourist trip to ancient Islamic Egypt.
You will find it directly behind the mosque of King Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun. It is cylindrical in shape and 90 meters deep. The well was dug into the Qaraqush rock, and dates back to the minister of Saladin who established the walls of the citadel..
Joseph’s Well consists of two floors, the depth of the first floor is 50 meters and the depth of the second floor is 40 meters with a staircase of 300 steps..
The well is named “Youssef’s Well” after Prince Youssef, son of the leader Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi. The well is used to provide a source of water during wars and sieges, and water is extracted by means of a waterwheel located on each floor using cattle and cows..
Saladin dug this well, which is 85 meters deep..
The well consists of two sections, the lower section is 2.3 meters long, and the upper section is 5 meters long..
The purpose of building a well is to provide the largest possible amount of water..
During the reign of Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun, a well was built to transport water from the Nile, as Saladin’s well was unable to produce the required water..
Palaces of Saladin Citadel
Al-Jawhara Palace was built in 1814 AD..
Al Haram Palace was built in 1826 AD..
In addition to the Ablaq Palace, which was built during the reign of Muhammad bin Qalawun..
Palace of Justice.
Mosques of Saladin Citadel
Nasser Muhammad bin Qalawun Mosque is one of the main mosques in the Citadel and was built during the Mamluk era..
In addition to the Suleiman Pasha Mosque.
Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque, where Muhammad Ali was buried.
Ahmed Katkhuda Azban Mosque.
Victory Mosque.
Castle Museums
Jewel Palace Museum
History of the construction of the most important historical museums in Cairo, Egypt. Valuable information about the contents and design of the Royal Museum in the Citadel of Saladin and what are the historical stories associated with the Jewel Museum.
The palace was built as a private residence for Sultan Muhammad Ali and his family after him in 1814 AD. The palace is distinguished by the presence of unique engravings of an oriental nature on all the walls of the palace in the Ottoman style..
In the museum you will see the old throne hall and some rare pieces of furniture belonging to Sultan Muhammad Ali..
The Jewel Palace is located in the Citadel of Saladin and is located next to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha..
The architectural layout of the palace is designed, where you start by seeing the main entrance of a canopy resting on marble columns and at the end of the entrance you find a rectangular room that was designated for the workers in the cutting. In the palace you will see the throne display hall then the back garden known as the Lions Garden then see the marble alabaster hall and the clock halls and the royal alabaster bath.
When you go to the second floor, above the reception wing of the museum, you will find drawings and engravings in the form of plants, flowers and unique decorations coated with gold water in the Baroque and Rococo style..
It is interesting to know that King Muhammad Ali Pasha hosted a large group of Mamluks and killed them all in the Jewel Palace, which was known for a while as the Great Massacre..
The Jewel Palace Museum, which contains a chandelier weighing 1000 kilograms, which was a gift from Louis Philippe I to Muhammad Ali Pasha..
The Transport Museum, which contains royal cars from the Khedive era to the era of King Farouk, was opened in 1938..
The Egyptian Army Military Museum, which was established in 1937..
Fire Museum.
About Saladin
Date of birth and death: Birth in 1138, date of death in 1193 AD.
Title: King Nasser.
His works: Saladin was able to restore Jerusalem from the Franks to the Muslims..
He was able to unite Egypt, Syria and Yemen..
fight the crusaders.
Salah El Din Citadel Address
Salah Salem Street – Al Darb Al Ahmar – Cairo.
Saladin Citadel working hours
Daily from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Ticket Prices
Note: Facts and secrets of the history will be added soon…
Hurghada Excursions Lovers, Best Travel Agency in Hurghada to provide daily tours to visit the Tourist attractions of Luxor by Hurghada to Luxor Tours and Hurghada to Pyramids Trips. Book online when you come to Hurghada, El Gouna, Sahl Hashish, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay.
