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Citadel in Cairo |
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The Citadel, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Cairo, is home to numerous old mosques, museums and other attractions. The Citadel is situated on a goad of limestone that had been taken off through digging from its place of origin in the Muqattam Hills. The Citadel is a very prominent sight on the eastern skyline in Cairo, which gives the evidence of its origin in the medieval period, especially hen viewed from the rear.
The site where the Citadel was founded, was originally meant to be the “Dome of the Wind”, a spectator area built by the then governor, Hatim Ibn Hartama around 810. This area, famous for the fresh breeze blowing over it, was used only for having views of Cairo. The Abbasid ruler Salah ad-Din, prepared the Citadel around 1171-1193 A.D for securing it the crusades. From that time, the Citadel has always been guarded by military forces. It is believed that Salah ad-Din selected this spot for its fresh air. But the fact is that the Citadel was advantageous both for controlling Cairo and for protecting Cairo from the invaders. Salah ad-Din made use of the latest techniques of that time for building the Citadel. Large bulging towers were constructed for throwing fire at the attackers who would try to climb up the walls which were 30 ft in height and 10 ft in thickness. The well at the Citadel was dug for having a constant source of drinking water, which was 285 ft deep.
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Major portion of the Citadel was built after the termination Salah ad-Din’s reign, a significant part of the total construction work being made by the British, who destroyed most of the former existing constructions. The Burg al-Haddad and the Burgar-Ramlab towers were strengthened by Salah ad-Din’s nephew after Salah ad-Din’s demise. The Mumluk ruler Baybars al-Bundugdari, Sultan An-Nasir Muhammad, Ottoman Muhammad Ali Pasha also made several changes and contributed largely in the construction of the Citadel. Presently, the Citadel includes the mosque of Mohamed Ali, Al-Gawhara Palace, the Police Museum and the National Military Museum.
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