2023

Location of Qaitbay Castle

The citadel is located at the northwestern tip of Alexandria on Pharos Island, where the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once stood.

History of Qaitbay Castle and the Ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria

This castle was built by Sultan Al-Ashraf King Abu Al-Nasr Qaitbay Al-Mahmoudi in 882 AH / 1477 AD on the site of the old lighthouse of Alexandria at the eastern end of the island of Pharos in the late Mamluk state, and it is an independent building 150 meters long or less and consists of three floors; the first floor has a square shape, the second is octagonal, and the third is circular, and the top of the lighthouse is covered by a dome and topped with a statue of the god Poseidon, the god of the seas and oceans with the three-forked thorn. It was decorated with marble statues, and the lighthouse in general is built with very large stones, and the method of lighting it was done by a pyramidal or polygonal block of bronze polished to perfection with a very smooth surface that works as a mirror suspended below a fireplace and reflects the light from the fire about 20 kilometers into the water to guide ships coming to Alexandria, and the thickness of its walls is 4.5 meters. 5 meters.

Architectural layout of the castle

Qaitbay Castle was built on an area of 17550 square meters, and on this area were built the castle's external walls and military fortifications, which are a group of walls built to further fortify the castle. These walls are two large walls of huge stones that surround the castle from the outside and inside, prepared to protect the castle. The first wall is the outer wall and surrounds the castle from all four sides; the eastern side of this wall overlooks the sea and has a width of two meters and a height of eight meters and no towers. The eastern side of this wall overlooks the sea and is two meters wide and eight meters high without any towers, while the western side is a huge wall of greater thickness than the rest of the castle walls with three round towers, and this wall is the oldest part of it. As for the southern side, it overlooks the eastern port and is punctuated by three round towers with a door in the middle, while the northern side overlooks the sea directly and is divided into two parts, the lower part of which is a large roofed corridor built directly over the rock with several rooms, while the upper part is a corridor with narrow openings overlooking the sea. The inner walls are made of limestone and surround the main tower from all sides except the northern side. The interior of this wall is punctuated by a group of adjacent rooms prepared as barracks for soldiers and is devoid of any openings except for door openings and latches that were intended to be ventilation openings on the one hand and defense openings on the other.

Activities in Qaitbay Castle

When you visit Qaitbay Castle, you will have an unparalleled experience, where you can first enjoy watching its unique architectural design, as well as enjoy seeing the stunning view, as it has a charming view of the Mediterranean beach that overlooks the sea on three sides.

You can wander inside the castle to learn about all its corridors and rooms; it is characterized by its large area with distinct designs and perfect division, as it consists of three floors in the form of a square; the first floor contains the castle mosque, and the second floor includes a group of various rooms and corridors, in addition to a large room for the council of Sultan Qaitbay.

You can pass by the main castle tower, which is located on the northwestern side; besides, you can enjoy watching the high-rise walls and learn about its history, how it was built, and the eras it went through.

You will have a lot of fun learning about the castle's ancient history and its weapons and ammunition stores, and you can also pass the defensive walls that surround the castle from four sides and are characterized by similar heights.In the end, you can sit on the castle's corniche amid the charming views and have a snack or one of your favorite drinks, and don't forget to go to the souvenir shops to buy some souvenirs to document your visit.