I visited the Citadel this week. It is a fort from the time of Saladin in 1184AD. He's the main man who booted the Crusaders out of Jerusalem and later sent Richard the Lionheart packing. Saladin built it to protect Cairo from the Crusaders - it is strategically positioned high above Cairo between the Mokattam Hills and the Nile. It was the seat of Government from his time through to the late 18th century. New palaces and mosques were built on the site over time by the various rulers of Egypt. At the highest peak stands the Mohammed Ali Mosque, built by its namesake in 1848. This mosque is unique in Cairo with its Ottoman style domes and minarets. You can see the Turkish influence when you step inside. It's a beauty. I was impressed - which was exactly the point. Shock and awe was the aim here.
And it's got one fantastic view over Cairo. See any invaders?
As I wandered around the Citadel, I tried to piece together the history of this site. There was Saladin, who after he beat the Crusaders became the first Sultan of Egypt. This was the beginning of the Mamluk dynasty, which went for 600 years. 'Mamluk' is the Arabic word for 'slave', and it refers to the slave soldiers. The mamluks were able to work their way up from slave to sultan - how's that for social mobility?
Then along came Mohammad Ali, who was put in charge of Egypt by the Ottoman Empire. He wanted to get rid of those pesky mamluks, so he invited the mamluk leaders to the Citadel for lunch then had them trapped and slaughtered at the gates of the Citadel. He got 600 of them and then went hunting for the rest.
The Citadel stopped being the head of Government when Isma'il Pasha, the grandson of Mohammad Ali, came to power in 1863. As the Khedive of Egypt, he moved his Government out of the Citadel and into one of his lavish palaces that he had built by European architects. He had expensive tastes - you can see several of his French built carriages in a museum at the Citadel, and one of his former palaces is now the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek. Sadly, his extravagant tastes for massive European style infrastructure and landscaping projects played a big role in Egypt becoming bankrupt. Eventually the British and the French intervened and Isma'il Pasha was deposed. He was allowed to retire to one of his palaces in Constantinople where he died trying to guzzle two bottles of champagne at once.
Although the Citadel is no longer used by the Government, it is still a military site used by the Egyptian Army. Even after 800 years, it still has the best view over Cairo.
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