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Egypt, citadel of Salahideen was built by
Saladin (Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din) for military purposes, and
its construction lasted from 1176 to 1183. The walls and the
towers construction was inspired from the crusades battles. The
citadel was the place from where Egypt’s different governments
administered the country for six centuries. The citadel of
Salahideen suffered many changes: al-Nasir Muhammad destroyed
some walls to build a mosque and some palaces for his own
purposes, Muhammad 'Ali rebuilt everything that was made by his
predecessor. Besides, the actual look of the citadel is Muhammad
'Ali’s projection. In 1828 Muhammad 'Ali started the
construction of a mosque in the memory of his first son, Tusun
Pasha, that passed away in 1816. The mosque was finished in 1848
and it is really impressive due to its architecture and height.
Egypt citadel is located in the Cairo’s center vicinity (Muqattam
Hill), which once was well known for offering a city’s wonderful
view. The citadel has other two mosques: the Suleyman Pasha’s
mosque and the al-Nasir Muhammad’s mosque. That one is a real
work of art, having ornate minarets, stylish proportions and
wonderful masonry. The courtyard is surrounded by supporting
columns taken even from antique structures of Egypt. Although
from the initial fortress nothing remained, excepting the Bir
Yusuf-the Citadel’s fountain, and some walls, the Cairo’s
Saladin Citadel is a very important attraction for the Egypt
tourists. The Police Museum, the National Military Museum and
the Al-Gawhara palace are included in the citadel. The main
attraction of the Military Museum is the Summer Room that has a
complex system of basins, channels and fountains from marble
projected as a system of cooling. Egypt’s citadel of Salahideen
keeps the atmosphere of the ancient times, attracting thousands
of visitors every year. |
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