Overlooking Cairo, in the background of this photo, taken from the city's oldest mosque, is the Citadel, begun by Salah ad-Din (Saladin) in the 12th century. One of the most recognized landmarks on Cairo's eastern skyline, the Citadel is one of the world's greatest monuments to medieval warfare.
Between 1176 and 1183, Salah ad-Din (1171- 1193 AD), an Abbasid Ruler, fortified the area to protect it against attacks by the Crusaders, and since then, it has never been without a military garrison. Originally it served as both a fortress and a royal city. Except for the Muqattam Hills in the background, this location provides a strategic advantage both to dominate Cairo and to defend outside attackers. Salah ad-Din had come from Syria where each town had some sort of fortress to act as a stronghold for the local ruler so it was only natural that he would carry this custom to Egypt. Most of the fortification was built after Salah ad-Din's rule, being added to by almost every invader including the British, some of whom destroyed much of what existed before them.
The Ottoman Muhammad Ali Pasha, one of the great builders of Modern Egypt, came to power in 1805, and was responsible for considerable alteration and building within the Citadel. From the grandeur and simplicity of Cairo's oldest mosque, one can look out over the teeming, crowded city toward a monument dominating the horizon, signifying all the power and magnificence the city has known.
Photo and commentary by Carol J. Riphenburg, Ph.D.
riphenbu@cdnet.cod.edu
 |
