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Citadel Entrance
Walk up the hill to the end of this road to the entrance. There you will pay your 50 LE and go through the security checkpoint. 29 May 2010
2329 (GMT +3)
Giza, Egypt
When I woke up this morning I had absolutely no plans, or any plans to start planning something. Within fifteen minutes I had the idea of getting out, a plan in place, and was ready to start moving. Ever had one of those days? Today’s adventure would take me to a different part of Cairo: Islamic Cairo, specifically, the Citadel.
Originally, my plan was to go solo, and try my hand at walking to the Citadel. I try to get out for a long walk at least once a week, usually on the weekends, and after walking to Coptic Cairo, few places really seem all that far right now. I estimated that it would take about two hours. If I was going to do this, I needed to do two things: hydrate, and have some quick breakfast. In speaking with one of my roommates over a bowl of rice and eggs, she expressed interest in going, but not in the walking part. So, I amended my plan, thinking that we would go together in a cab, and after I would break off and walk home on my own. As we were
about to walk out the door, my other roommate announced his desire to tag along. So, we waited for another ten minutes or so while he composed himself, and we were off.
Always willing to compromise, we decided to set out walking, and then catch a taxi somewhere along the way. We made it across Zamalek and to the
Corniche el Nil on the Cairo side of the river, where we caught a cab. As it turned out, it’s probably a good thing that we didn’t walk the whole way. Based on the distance, I’d guess that my estimate was off by forty-five minutes to an hour. This is not outside the realm of possibility, but by the time I would have made it there, I would have been beat to the point that I would not be able to completely appreciate the experience. So, for the two dollar cab ride, we got to enjoy the trip in about fifteen minutes, with air conditioning, and we were dropped off right at the front gate.
The Citadel is a very old and very interesting place. It was built in the late 12th Century by the Kurdish Muslim leader, Salah
Me and the Mosques
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali is in the background, distinquishable by its large white domes. The Mosque of al-Nasr Muhammad is just to the left, and slightly closer. al-Din - better known in the West as Saladin. The fortress is located in eastern Cairo, near the old Fatimid capitol of Fustat. After ousting the incumbent Fatimids, and securing his control in Cairo with the Citadel, Salah al-Din went on to perform his more famous feats against the Crusaders in Palestine.
To get in to the Citadel, you have to go through a security checkpoint, as well as purchase a ticket. For tourists, the cost is 50 EGP. If you’re a student (and
only if you have an international student ID card, we were told) it is 25 EGP.
Once within the walls it is tough to get lost. There’s only so far you can go before either being stopped by a wall or a police checkpoint. As always, when in doubt follow the tour groups.
There are several sights of interest within the Citadel. There are three mosques within the complex. First and foremost is the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, which is probably the most prominent mosque in Cairo. Its namesake - not to be confused with the 20th Century American boxer - was the Ottoman governor of Egypt during the mid-19th Century. He is
Mosque of Muhammad Ali
One of the most notable mosques in Cairo. very much revered by Egyptians, and is considered by many to be the founder of modern Egypt. In fact, I actually learned from our taxi driver that Muhammad Ali built an aqueduct that would bring water from the Nile, all the way up to the Citadel. The aqueduct is still there today.
Next to the Muhammad Ali mosque is the Mosque of al-Nasr Muhammad, which is much smaller. The third is the Mosque of Suleiman Pasha, but that one is a bit out of the way, and we were unable to find our way there. Certain areas close at certain times, and for no apparent reason, so it’s hard to say.
Aside from the mosques, there is a Police Museum, and a Military Museum. We skipped both of these, but there are a number of displays in the courtyard of the military museum that I enjoyed seeing. These included a number of guns and mortars, many from World War I, but some dating back to Muhammad Ali’s era. There is also a collection of tanks and airplanes, a few Egyptian MiGs, and two Israeli tanks captured during the 1973 war. Interestingly enough, there were two American-made tanks -
Inside Muhammad Ali
Pictures just don't do justice to the grandeur of the mosque, but I had to try. Sherman tanks - that were used by Egypt during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. My roommates found a convenient bench and humored me while I enjoyed this area.
We had an interesting experience during this time. After I’d had my fill of looking at all the big guns, I returned to where my roommates were sitting. As we planned our next move, an Egyptian couple with a young boy came over and sat their boy on the bench, right between my two friends. They then stepped back and started taking pictures of their son with the tourists. What was really odd about it was that this was the second time this had happened. While standing in the Mosque of al-Nasr Muhammad, one lady walked up next to my roommate and had her friend take a picture of the two of them. Perhaps this is a cultural thing? I can’t quite figure it out.
Probably the best part of the Citadel is the view. Salah al-Din surely picked a good place for his fortress, as it is built up on a hill, and commands a superb view of the surroundings. I would imagine that in the medieval period
The Tomb of Muhammad Ali
Inside the mosque, just to the right of the entrance. it was a highly defendable position. From the Citadel you get a good look at Cairo, and can see pretty much all the way across the city, such as it is. On a clear day (such as today), if you look east-southeast, you might catch a glimpse of another of Cairo’s most famous landmarks.
Enjoy it. This is about as close as you’re going to get for a while.
Afterwards we took a taxi back downtown, just off of
Sharia Talat Harb to a local restaurant called
Falfela. Here you can get all kinds of Egyptian and Middle Eastern cuisine. There are two locations, the one on
Talat Harb is a takeaway place, but if you go around the corner to the right you'll find the sit down restaurant. It is quite nice on the inside, and while it is a bit more expensive than street vendors, here you don't run quite the risk of food poisoning, so it's worth the extra few dollars. I got an Egyptian dish called fateh, which is flad bread (which they call
aiish), topped with rice and some grilled meat (lamb, chicken, beef), spices, and a yogurt sauce. Very tasty. For desert
Sherman Tank With Bulldozer Blade
According to the sign it was used by Egypt during the 1948 war against Israel. we all enjoyed a bowl of another famous Egyptian dish called
Omm Ali. This comes warm in a bowl, and is made from milk, honey, sweet bread, and it is topped with some nuts, raisins, and a few other fruits. Well worth your two dollars.
-MG
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