Cairo Citadel
A fortress on a spur of the Mokattam hills begun by Saladin in 1176 and expanded by the rulers who followed. For nearly 700 years it was the seat of Egypt's government, and its walls look out over the domes and minarets of the old city.
- Where
- Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 30.0294, 31.2614
Get the Cairo Citadel stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Cairo Citadel. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Cairo volume with your photos and a note.
Near Cairo Citadel
Muhammad Ali Mosque 0.2 km
The great domed mosque inside the Citadel, built between 1832 and 1857 for Muhammad Ali Pasha in the Ottoman style of Istanbul. Its slender twin minarets dominate the Cairo skyline, and its alabaster cladding gives it the name the Alabaster Mosque.
Al-Rifai Mosque 0.6 km
A grand mosque on Citadel Square, finished in the early 20th century to match the medieval Sultan Hassan mosque facing it. It is also the royal mausoleum of Muhammad Ali's family, and stands beside its older neighbour like a twin across a narrow lane.
Mosque of Ibn Tulun 1.1 km
Built between 876 and 879 by Ahmad ibn Tulun, the oldest well preserved mosque in Egypt. Its huge open courtyard and spiral minaret follow the mosques of Samarra in Iraq, and the arcades of brick and stucco are calm even in the middle of the city.
Al-Azhar Park 1.3 km
A public park laid out on what was for centuries a mound of rubble beside the old city, opened in 2005 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Its lawns, fountains and hilltop cafes look over the minarets of Islamic Cairo and up to the Citadel.
Bab Zuweila 1.5 km
One of three surviving gates in the walls of medieval Cairo, built in 1092 by the Fatimid vizier Badr al-Jamali. The twin minarets on top were added in the 1410s for the neighbouring Mosque of al-Muayyad, and climbing them gives a view across the old city.
Al-Azhar Mosque 1.8 km
Founded by the Fatimids in 970 with their new capital, the first mosque of the city that became known for its thousand minarets. It grew into one of the oldest centres of learning in the world, and its marble courtyard is ringed by minarets from many centuries.
Islamic Cairo 1.9 km
The old walled heart of the city, built up from the Muslim conquest in 641 to the 19th century, and the reason Cairo is called the City of a Thousand Minarets. Its lanes run past Fatimid gates, Mamluk mosques, madrasas and the great Citadel.
Museum of Islamic Art 1.9 km
One of the finest collections of Islamic art anywhere, gathered from across the Islamic world and every period. Carved wood, metalwork, ceramics, glass, crystal and textiles fill its galleries, alongside mosque lamps and astrolabes.
More famous places to visit in Cairo
Questions
Where is Cairo Citadel?
Cairo Citadel is in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Muhammad Ali Mosque (0.2 km), Al-Rifai Mosque (0.6 km), Mosque of Ibn Tulun (1.1 km).
How do I get the Cairo Citadel stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Cairo Citadel and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Cairo volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Cairo Citadel before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Cairo volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.