Saladin Citadel of Cairo
The area where the Citadel is now located started not as a great military base of operations, but as the “Dome of the Wind”, a pavilion created in 810 by Hatim Ibn Hartama, who was then governor. Indeed this area was well known for its cool breeze. These early governors, not realizing its strategic importance, simply used the pavilion for its view of Cairo. Between 1176 and 1183, Salah ad-Din, an Abbasid Ruler, fortified the area to protect it against attacks by the Crusaders, and since then, it has never been without a military garrison. Among its monuments are the 13th/14th c. mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad, the 16th c. Mosque of Suleyman Pasha, and the 19th c. Mosque of Muhammad ‘Ali al-Kabir. These show the rich and varying architectural styles of their periods. The citadel also contains Al-Gawhara Palace, the National Military Museum and the Police Museum.