fort of Qaitbey, Alexandria

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The citadel also known as fort Qaitbey is an impressive building, but what made it somehow magic for me was the fact that here the ancent lighthouse of Alexandria was located.
The forth was built in the 15th century and now also hosts a naval museum.
The visit is interesting, showing all the way of defense used by the solders to protect from unwanted visitors coming from the sea.
We had our personal guide, but even here we found someone that had to say something in order to ask money before we left, odd habit that did not abandon us in Alexandria
Opening 9 am to 6 pm

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It was suspected for years that the Great Lighthouse was on this site, but on in recent years have they found evidence to confirm it. The Fort that resides on the site is beautiful. Well built and very interesting. Great place to take pictures of the city and the ocean.

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The Citadel of Qaitbey was considered one of the most important defensive strongholds for Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea Coast.

The Citadel was built on the exact site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; the Lighthouse of Alexandria, or Pharos Lighthouse. Some of the actual stones and bricks from the lighthouse were used to bulid the Citadel. After an earthquake in the 11th Century, the lighthouse was repaired and continued to function.

After another quake in the 14th Century, the lighthouse was destroyed completely. In 1480 A.D. The Mameluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay built and fortified the buliding to serve as a costal defense against the Turkish. The Sultan built the castle and put a mosque inside. Sultan Qaitbay was born in 1423 A.D. and ruled for 29 years.

The fort was neglected and sat in ruin until 1904, when King Farouk wanted to turn it into a royal palace fro himself. in 1952, the Egyptian Navy turned the fort into a Maritime Museum. Most of the restoration took place in 1984.

Open daily until 4 pm
Price: 25 L.E. (4.32 USD)

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The Alexandria Citedal s situated at one end of the harbour so that one side looks out to see and another side look to land.

The Building itself is in amazing condition obviously having been very well restored.

It was so windy when we got here, so we just took few shots and a quick walk. I liked the old fort and the salesmen, there were also a lot of cats resting on the stairs and hiding from the wind, a funny scene, actually. Hope I will get back one day to have th eopportunity to enjoy the view during the sunny and no windy weather :)

The Mamluk fortress of Qait Bey was built in the fifteenth century on the site of the famous Pharos of Alexandria, destroyed by an earthquake some hundred years previously, and using some of the stones from the ruins. The fort was heavily shelled by the British in 1882 but it has (apart from the minaret of the mosque within the inner tower) recently been restored.

The fort is worth visiting both in it's own right as an impressive piece of military architecture and also for the fantastic views of Alex which it offers. I visited on a Saturday and the place was full of Alexandrians enjoying a day out, lots of children running about exploring the walls and groups of people taking eachothers photos on their mobile phones.

The spectacular Port is home to Fort Kaitbay. Built on an island, this “castle” or fort was badly damaged by Napoleon as he attempted to “win the hearts and minds” of the Egyptians!

The fort is Alexandrias number one tourist attraction and is the tourist icon of the entire city. Sitting at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, you are afforded some truly spectacular views up and down the coast as well as looking across the harbor toward the city.

The entry fee is 2 Egyptian pounds for locals and 12 Egyptian pounds for foreigners!

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The structure was so unique and the bay that surrounds the Citadel is gorgeous.
I was fascinated with the fort, citadel, and around Qaitbay in Alexandria. The fort can be found at the entrance of the eastern harbour on the eastern point of the Pharos Island.

You can see in the photos I posted here local people selling their wares which are purely local. The sight of the presence of people, local and tourists alike who are frequenting the bay and admiring the beauty of this wonder is interesting.

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I was fascinated with the Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria. It can be found at the entrance of the eastern harbour on the eastern point of the Pharos Island. It is on the site of the ancient Lighthouse that was destroyed by earthquakes in the 14th century.

People of all ages, local and tourists are frequenting and admiring the beauty of this wonder. Very interesting.

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Don't get fooled paying LE 50 to see the Fish Museum inside Fort Al Qaytbeit!..it's so ugly, unnecessary and so not worth to see.

But the Fort itself is so gorgeous. Its color is contrast with the blue sky.

In front of the Fort you may see several stalls selling souvenirs. If you Bargain hard you may get alot of souvenir cheaper than in Bazaar El Khanlili.