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Citadel of Saladin, Cairo

Type Object Region Egypt Time 1176

A fortress built on the slopes of the Mokattam Hills in Cairo from 1176 on Saladin's orders to strengthen the new sultanate's city defenses and monit…

Timeline

  1. 1176–1193Mokattam Hills, Cairo · CairoTo guard against a crusader counterattack and to counterbalance the old capital's core, Saladin built a citadel on the Mokattam heights, using the terrain to gain a military overlook of all of Cairo.
  2. 1193–1200Citadel of Saladin, Cairo · CairoAfter Saladin's death, family members continued to improve the walls, towers, and water supply system, making the citadel the center of the sultan's residence and arms storage.
  3. 1201–1210Citadel of Saladin, Cairo · CairoUnder sultans al-Adil and al-Kamil, the citadel served as Egypt's political and military hub, directing defenses against the Fifth Crusade and war preparations in the Nile Delta.

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