Alexandria Day Trip – Part 7 | Egypt Travel Blog: Day 1 (Part 12)

Qaitbay Citadel | The Fort Qaitbay Castle

Egypt Travel Blog: 10 DAYS Egypt Explorer - Felucca Cruise & Red Sea

The Citadel of Qaitbay in Alexandria sits on the northern tip of Pharos Island on the Mediterranean Sea coast and was built in 1477 AD by Sultan Qaitbay. The purpose of this fort was to defend Alexandria from the Ottoman Empire, but it didn’t work out when the Ottomans took over Egypt in 1512.

The fortress was heavily bombarded and damaged by the British fleet in 1882 and later reconstructed in the early 19th century by Muhammad Ali Pasha – the father and founder of modern Egypt.

The Citadel of Qaitbay was erected on the exact location of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Citadel was built with stone salvaged from the lighthouse.

The Citadel has three floors. There is a huge mosque on the first floor. The second floor has an octagonal corridor and halls, and the third floor was where the king used to sit.

I found that the 2nd floor looked like a maze with lots of cubbyhole-like mini tunnels for the guards to watch the sea outside for approaching enemy ships. It’s easy to get lost looking for exits, but my guide was there to maneuver us through the castle. 

At present, the Citadel is a popular tourist spot and also has a small naval museum. I noticed lots of couples also enjoying the solitude by the Mediterranean Sea, away from the city’s hustle and bustle.

Another thing I noticed was that young Egyptians like to take pictures with tourists, especially if you are a girl with blond hair and blue eyes. One of my blond tour mates has been getting stopped for pictures every minute. Eventually, she just couldn’t keep up and had to refuse to strike a pose.

Our next stop will be Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Alexandria Library.