Citadel of Saladin

The hilltop citadel from which Egypt was ruled for nearly seven centuries.

Begun around 1176 by Salah al-Din (Saladin) on a spur of the Muqattam hills to defend against the Crusaders, the Citadel became the seat of Egypt's rulers from the Ayyubids through Muhammad Ali's dynasty. Behind its ramparts stand palaces, museums, and mosques, most prominently the Ottoman mosque of Muhammad Ali crowning the skyline.