The Citadel of Qaitbay (or the Fort of Qaitbay; Arabic: قلعة قايتباي) is a 15th-century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast, in Alexandria,Egypt. Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-din Qa’it Bay built the citadel from 1477 to 1479 AD (882–884 AH) . The Citadel is on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of the Eastern Harbor.

The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast. It formulated an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century AD.

Construction

Ibn Ayas mentioned that building of this fort started in the month of Rabi Alawal 882 H. He said that the Sultan Qaitbay travelled to Alexandria, accompanied with some other Mameluke princes, to visit the site of the old lighthouse and during this visit he ordered the building of the Citadel.

In the month of Shaban 884 H, the Sultan Qaitbay travelled again to Alexandria when engineers finished the construction . He provided the fort with a brave legion of soldiers and various weapons. He also, as Ibn Ayas mentioned, dedicated several waqfs from which he financed the construction works as well as the salaries of the soldiers.

Throughout the Mameluke period, and due to its strategic location, the rulers who came after Qaitbay well maintained the Citadel .

qaitbay15th-century fortifications

About 1480 AD, the Circassian Mameluke Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay fortified the place as part of his coastal defensive edifices against the Turks, who were threatening Egypt at that time. He built the fortress and placed a mosque inside it. The Citadel continued to function during most of the mameluke period, the Ottoman period and the Modern period, but after the British bombardment of Alexandria in 1882, it was kept out of the spotlight. It became neglected until the 20th century, when it was restored several times by the Egyptian supreme council of Antiquities .

The founder of the Citadel of Qaitbay is a Circassian Sultan is Al-Ashraf Abou Anasr Saif El-Din Qaitbay  (1468–1496 AD) . He was born about 1423 AD (826 AH). He was a Mamluke who had come to Egypt as a young man, less than 20 years old. Bought by Al-Ashraf Bersbay, he remained among his attendants until Al-Ashraf Bersbay died. Then the Sultan Jaqmaq bought Qaitbay, and later gave him his freedom. Qaitbay then went on to occupy various posts. He became the Chief of the Army (Atabec Al-Askar) during the rule of the Sultan Timurbugha. When the Sultan was dethroned, Qaitbay was appointed as a Sultan who was titled Almalek Al-Ashraf 872 AH (1468 AD).

20th-century renovation

The Citadel then remained neglected, until 1904 when the Ministry of Defence restored the Upper floors. King Farouk wanted to turn the Citadel into a royal rest house so he ordered a rapid renovation on it.

After the revolution of 1952 the Egyptian Naval troops turned the building into a Maritime Museum . The biggest restoration work dates to 1984, when the Egyptian Antiquities Organization made ambitious plans to restore the fort.