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Cairo Citadel

Type Object Region Egypt Time 1176

The Citadel of Cairo (Qalʿat al-Jabal) on Mokattam Hill was begun by Saladin in 1176–1183 to strengthen Cairo's defenses and control Nile Valley traf…

Timeline

  1. 1176–1183Mokattam Hill, Cairo · CairoSaladin chose Mokattam Hill for the fortress, using limestone and Nile waterways (including the famous Well of Joseph) to solve water supply; the citadel and Old Cairo formed a complementary defense system, marking Cairo's militarization as a major capital of the Islamic world.
  2. 1250–1380Cairo Citadel · CairoDuring the Mamluk Sultanate the citadel was continuously expanded with mosques, palaces, and barracks; most sultans moved into the citadel rather than Fatimid Old Cairo, making it the spatial vehicle of Mamluk military slavery and the commanding height of Cairo's urban structure.
  3. 1381–1390Cairo Citadel · CairoAfter Barquq ascended in 1382 he kept the citadel as his administrative and military hub; Circassian Mamluk emirs garrisoned around it, and the citadel overlooked all of Cairo and the Nile, serving as the most stable symbol and actual node of control after the 1380s power changes in Egypt.

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