Qaitbay Citadel
The Citadel of Qaitbay in Alexandria has a particularly excellent site on the Mediterranean coast since it was built on the remnants of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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Where is the Qaitbay Citadel located?
Qaitbay Citadel is surrounded by the sea in Alexandria Egypt
The citadel is at the western end of Alexandria. It was an important spot because it kept the city safe from Crusaders and other invaders starting in the 15th century.
It is one of a kind because it was built with parts of an old lighthouse in the third century AD and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
In Egypt in 1303, when the Mameluke Sultan Qalaun was in charge, an earthquake almost destroyed the lighthouse.
Why is Qaitbay Citadel regarded as highly important?
One of the most notable examples of defensive architecture in Egypt and the whole region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea is the Citadel of Qaitbay, which lies near Alexandria. As a result, it was crucial to develop the defenses for the city of Alexandria in the year 1500.
Citadel of Qaitbay History
Entrance of Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria Egypt
On Pharos Island, near the location of the first lighthouse of Alexandria, Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay commissioned the building of a sizable tower in the year 1477 AD, which corresponds to the year 882 AH. This was the beginning of the Qaitbay Citadel.
By the time the citadel was finished two years later, in AH 884/AD 1479, the Ottoman Empire, which had shifted its concentration of conquest from Europe to the East and was beginning to threaten Alexandria, had started to threaten Alexandria. To bolster the nation’s defenses, Sultan Qaytbay of Qattaba ordered the construction of several fortifications along the Egyptian border.
Because it is in a prime location on the beach, close to the water, the Qaitbay Fort is immediately visible. The building bears the name of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay, who was in charge of Egypt at the time and ordered its construction. One of the most effective defenses of its time was the fortified citadel of Alexandria.
Citadel of Qaitbay Architecture
Qaitbay Citadel is surrounded by water on three sides
The castle was built on land that is 17,550 square meters and is surrounded by water on three sides.
The main entrance to the castle is on the southwest side, where two towers look like three-quarters of a circle. The court also has two defensive walls.
The castle has three square floors, and at each corner, there is a half-circle tower with a balcony on top. These towers have two levels of openings for shooting arrows.
The Qitbay Citadel’s First Floor
The Citadel Mosque is on the first floor. It has a courtyard, four iwans, and defensive passages that make it easy for troops to move quickly when the citadel is being defended. This mosque used to have a minaret, but it fell recently. The mosque in the fort is one of the oldest known mosques in Alexandria.
The Qitbay Citadel’s second floor
On the second floor, there are hallways, chambers, and halls. On the third floor, there is a large room called “the seat of Sultan Qaitbay,” where he sits to watch ships sail from Alexandria. A cross vault covers this room. This level also has one of the ovens for baking wheat bread and a mill for grinding grain for the castle’s troops. A big cistern in the castle holds fresh water for the people who live there.
The Citadel of Qaitbay has swiftly ascended to the ranks of Egypt’s most popular historical sites for visitors visiting Alexandria. Check our Egypt Vacation Packages include trips to the country’s most well-known attractions. If you choose one of these packages, you may be able to go back in time and enjoy an incredible experience in Egypt.
