Citadel of Qaitbay at Alexandria

Pharos Island

Sultan Qaitbay (1468–1496 AD) built his fort on the northern tip of Pharos Island, on the Mediterranean shore, to protect Egypt’s northern borders from invaders.

Pharos Island had long been used for important buildings. Earlier, Ptolemy II (280–247 BC) built a lighthouse there up to 100 metres high, counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Earthquakes and erosion later destroyed the lighthouse, and its blocks were reused to build Qaitbay’s fort.

In 1475 AD Sultan El-Ashraf Seif El-Din Qaitbay visited the site on a trip with his family and chose it for fortifying Egypt’s northern border. The fortress was inaugurated in 1477 AD.

Structure of the citadel

The fortress has entrances on the south and west sides. Two watchtowers flank it, and a mosque stands inside its walls. The interior was designed to house soldiers in wartime and had positions for cannons.

The citadel remained a military stronghold under the Mamluks, the Ottomans and later rulers until 1882. The British bombarded it heavily, and in the 20th century there were several attempts to restore it.

The upper floors were restored in 1904, and King Farouk I later ordered a renovation to turn it into a royal rest house. Since the revolution of 1952 it has been one of Alexandria’s best-known tourist sites.