Cairo Citadel

Mosque of Muhammad Ali on right, in addition to the greenish dome of the Al-Nasir Muhammad Qala'un Mosque on left

he Saladin Citadel of Cairo (Arabic: قلعة صلاح الدين‎ Qalaʿat Salāḥ ad-Dīn) is a medieval Islamic fortification inwards Cairo, Egypt. The location, on Mokattam colina nearly the centre of Cairo, was in ane lawsuit famous for its fresh breeze in addition to grand views of the city. It is similar a shot a preserved historic site, amongst mosques in addition to museums.

 

19th century history

Mosque of Muhammad Ali on right, in addition to the greenish dome of the Al-Nasir Muhammad Qala'un Mosque on left.The Citadel is sometimes referred to every bit Mohamed Ali Citadel (Arabic: قلعة محمد علي‎ Qalaʿat Muḥammad ʿAlī), because it contains the Mosque of Muhammad Ali of (or Mohamed Ali Pasha), which was built betwixt 1828 in addition to 1848, perched on the summit of the citadel. This Ottoman mosque was built inwards retentivity of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali's oldest son, who died inwards 1816.

Cairo Citadel

 However, it also represents Muhammad Ali's efforts to erase symbols of the Mamluk dynasty that he replaced. When Ottoman ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha took command from the Mamluks inwards 1805 he altered many of the additions to the Citadel that reflected Cairo's previous leaders. One obvious alter that Muhammad Ali enacted pertained to the uses of the Citadel's northern in addition to southern enclosures.

During the Mamluk menstruum the southern enclosure was the residential area, exactly Muhammad Ali claimed the northern enclosure every bit the imperial residence when he took power. He in addition to then opened the southern enclosure to the populace in addition to effectively established his put every bit the novel leader.

The mosque is the other characteristic of the Citadel that reflects the reign of Muhammad Ali. This feature, amongst its large dome in addition to overtly Ottoman influenced architecture, looms over the Citadel to this day. Recently destroyed Mamluk palaces inside the Citadel provided infinite for the formidable mosque, which was the largest construction to endure established inwards the early on 19th century.

Placing the mosque where the Mamluks had in ane lawsuit reigned was an obvious endeavor to erase the retentivity of the older rulers in addition to constitute the importance of the novel leader. The mosque also replaced the mosque of al-Nasir every bit the official patch mosque.

There are ii other mosques at the Citadel, the 13th/14th c. hypostyle Al-Nasir Muhammad Qala'un Mosque from the early on Bahri Mamluk period, in addition to the 16th c. Mosque of Suleyman Pasha, laid about of the Citadel's Ottoman-style mosques.