Salah al-Din Citadel and Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo)

Salah al-Din Citadel

The Salah al-Din Citadel is a medieval fort in the centre of Cairo with panoramic views of the city. It was built by the sultan Saladin in the 12th century to repel invading Crusaders. It featured a well, which was later fed water from the Nile via aqueducts.

In the 19th century a great mosque was built by Mohammad Ali Pasha, an Ottoman military commander, who became ruler of Egypt. It is modelled after the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

From the Citadel you get a great view of Cairo and the Mosque Madrassa of Sultan Hasan, built in the 14th century and, at the time, the largest mosque in the world.

Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo)

A short taxi ride from the Citadel is Coptic Cairo, a neighbourhood in Old Cairo with several Coptic Christian churches and monuments. It features the Bablyon Fortress, an ancient castle built in around 500BC; the Hanging Church, one of the oldest churches in Egypt, and; the Church of St George, a Greek Orthodox church dating back to the 10th century.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the images.

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