We spent the next morning combing the forbidding fortress Citadel of Saladin, built to defend himself 1176 -1183 against the Crusaders and domestic enemies. We had seen evidence of the spread of his empire in Delhi. The Citadel area includes three mosques, the most famous of which is the Ottoman Muhammad ‘Ali (1828-1848), various palaces and the Well of Joseph. The Ottoman mosque is a confection of decorated domes, alabaster and sleek minarets whilst the Harim Palace has been put to use as a well-appointed Military Museum. Saladin had built such a successful fort that it was even used by British troops during 1882-1954.
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| Citadel of Saladin - fortifications from inside |
Next stop was Coptic Cairo. The churches were dark; we either couldn’t or didn’t take photos so I’m not sure which ones we visited. The Hanging Church is built over a Roman fortress and has a roof in the shape of Noah’s Ark. Icons and other Coptic art were quite beautiful and extraordinary. The Church of St Segius is said to have been built over the spot where the holy family lived during their flight into Egypt.
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| Old city gates leading into area near Coptic Cairo |
Our next undertaking was an adventurous drive into the outer suburbs where we were shown how great blocks of marble, granite and alabaster were cut into thin slivers. Why? Well, Mr DIY is no ordinary tourist and by day 2, he wanted to see something a little left of mainstream.
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| Prayers at al-Hakim Mosque |
We finished off our day with a stop on the way home to the Fatimid mosque of al-Hakim (990). This mosque has an interesting history; one that includes being used as a prison, damaged by an earthquake, a repository for Islamic arts, a school and even a fortress for Napoleonic troops. It was beautifully restored in 1981. The mosque is within massive city walls and lies between Bab al-Futuh (Gate of Conquests) and Bab al-Nasr (Gate of Victory). They certainly took security seriously back then….
