One of the best defensive fortresses on the Mediterranean coast is “Qaitbay Citadel,” located in the everlasting city of Alexandria on the eastern side of the northern tip of the island of Pharos and extending from the cornice into Alexandria ‘s harbor.
It was built in 1477 AD by order of the Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-din Qa’it Bay to protect the country from the Ottoman Empire ‘s dangerous advances. It was planned and constructed in 2 years by a Mamluk architect named Qagmas Al-Eshaqy.It occupies a unique position not only because it played an important role in the city’s fortification system during the 15th century AD but also because it was built on the exact site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world “The Lighthouse of Alexandria” that was destroyed by a series of earthquakes in the 11th and 14th centuries AD
During the Ottoman Empire, the Quitbay citadel continued to play a crucial role, as a strong fortress was used to store and ship arms until the next three centuries in 1517 AD. The citadel caught Napoleon Bonaparte ‘s eye during the French campaign in 1798 and he took it with the nation as a whole. At the beginning of the 19th century, after being heavily damaged by the British naval bombardment, Muhammad Ali worked in the restoration of the citadel ‘s walls and provided the fortress with modern weapons that made the reign of Muhammed Ali the golden age of the town.
Qaitbay Citadel Architecture and Interiors
The Qaitbay Citadel was constructed using the stones recovered from the giant lighthouse on an area of a square-shaped land that looks like a peninsula as it is surrounded by three sides of the Mediterranean sea. It has three floors in the first floor there is a large mosque and the second one is an octagon containing rooms, halls, and a breathing interior while the third and last floor is a huge circular space housing the king’s seat.
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Qaitbay Citadel is Alexandria’s most significant fort, so Egypt’s rulers cared for it over the ages.-In the Mamluk Era, Qansoh Al-Ghuri Increased its protector ‘s strength and shipped with weapons and gear.When Ottomans opened Egypt in 1517, they used this Citedal as a fort to defend them from three centuries.
Then, in 1798, the French offensive was able to capture it. Napoleon Bonaparte came with 50,000 troops to conquer Alexandria and retake the castle.-In the nineteenth century, Muhammad Ali worked to fortify Egypt so that he rebuilt the castle walls while ruling Egypt. Since the British Naval bombardment destroyed the walls entirely
