CAIRO
(the Capital of Egypt) definitely is the biggest city in Africa ande the Middle_east, is one of the world's largest urban areas and offers many sites to see. It is the administrative capital of Egypt .known officially as al-Qāhirah and it also called "The city of a thousand minarets" .
Cairo, is an amazing city full of life and movement, and it is
that way almost 24 hours every day, with the noisy honking of horns,
children playing in the streets and merchants selling their wears and
services. And here, the Egyptians are most at home in this powerful,
modern and ancient city .
Cairo, Egypt provides great culture, including art galleries and music
halls, such as the Cairo Opera House; as well it should, being one of
the largest cities in the world. It also provides some of the grandest
accommodations and restaurants in the world, such as the Four Seasons
and the Cairo Marriott.
 |
| The citadel |
The Citadel of Saladin
The Citadel, as it stands today, is a collection of buildings, dating
back to several eras. It contains various, military, religious, secular
and civil constructions that have overlapped to constitute an
intricate archeological collection involving monuments from the
Ayyubid period as well as of later periods, such as the Mamluk period ,
the Ottoman period and the Muhammad Ali's period. The Citadel's
buildings will always be a rich field of research for archeologists
due to the potential discovery of walls or antiques that might tell
their stories in time.
The Location of the Citadel:
Saladin ordered the construction of his Citadel in (572 H. /1176
A.D), assigning this responsibility to his minister, Baha'- ud-Din
Qaraqush. It was then built on a part of a separate elevation of the
Muqattam Hills. The main purpose of its construction was of course to
fulfill Saladin's intention of establishing and maintaining his
control and power over Egypt besides protection against potential
dangers from the supporters of the Fatimid Caliphs in Egypt especially
after having arrested and driven out Fatimid princes from the eastern
and western palaces, and replacing them by his own princes. The Citadel
ad a very significant defensive function, namely, to protect Cairo in
case it is subjected to any assault.
The construction of this
citadel was accompanied by Saladin's major defensive project of having
the four capital cities of Egypt surrounded by a stone wall and
provided with strong defensive towers. He had embarked on this project
since (566 H. /1176. A.D), when he was the minister of the Fatimid
Caliph, Al-Adid. This process was simultaneous with the commencement
of the construction of the Citadel in (572 H. /1176 A.D). Finally he
had all the four capital cities of Islamic Egypt, Al- Fustat, Al- Askar, Al- Qata'i and Cairo, surrounded by a strong defensive wall.
 |
| The Mosque of Muhammad Ali |
This mosque, which is located within the walls of the Citadel, is
the gem of Islamic architecture in Egypt, with its high dome and two
elegant minarets. It has also been known as the Citadel Mosque or the
Alabaster Mosque. The construction and decoration of this mosque took
quite a long time. They were initiated by Muhammad Ali in (1246 H.
/1830 A.D), and it was added to by Khedive Abbass I and later by Ismail
Pasha in 1863. In (1296 H. /1879 A.D) Tawfik Pasha restored the
marble courtyard of the mosque. In 1935 the original great dome was
pulled down when some fractures appeared in it, and it was rebuilt.
Sultan Hassan Collage
This madrasah was established by Sultan Al-Nasir Hassan son of Muhammad
Ibn Qalawun, who was first named Qimari, but later on he chose the
name Hassan by which he became known. He came to power in (748
H./1347A.D) but was overthrown in (752 L/1351A.D). In (755 H./1354A.D)
he was reinstated to the throne of Egypt once more. In (762 H. /1361
A.D) he had a serious conflict with prince Yalbugha, which ended with
his arrest together with a number of his supporters in Matariyyah.
The location of this madrasah was previously known as Suq al-Khayl (the
horse market) and it had one of the most wonderful palaces established
by Sultan Al-Nasir Hassan in (738 H. /1337 A.D) for Prince Yalbugha
Al-Yahyawi. This palace survived until it was demolished by order of
Sultan Al-Nasir Hassan to be replaced by his madrasah, the construction
of which was commenced in (757 Hegira) and was meticulously followed
up throughout his lifetime. Sultan Hassan is quoted as having said,
"This mosque cost so much that at times I wished I could stop, had it
not been for fear lest it may be reported that the King of Egypt was
unable to finish something he had started". In fact, the Sultan Hassan
School has no equivalent in the whole Islamic world.
 |
| Sultan Hassan Collage |
visit cairo and see all the wonderful historical places,you will explore the tourist sightseeing in Egypt,especially The Egyptian Museum , citadel ,Sultan Hassan Collage and khan el khalili .
