Cairo from the Citadel

‎The Citadel of Cairo was built by Saladin in A. D. 1166. It was built of stone brought from the small pyramids of Gizeh. It formed a part of Saladin’s general plan for protecting the town from assault. In its selection, he showed a lack of wisdom, for the citadel is completely commanded by Mount Mokattam. The great ruler chose the spot because of the pure air since it was found, as a historian reports, that meat could be kept fresh at that high altitude twice as long as anywhere else in Cairo. The citadel itself is a small town with a palace built by Mohammed Ali, the mosque of Mohammed Ali, an older mosque built in the year 718 of the Hegira, and which was long the royal mosque of Cairo. From the citadel, a fine view is to be enjoyed. Just below are the arsenal, the Rumeleh—a beautiful public square, the fine mosque of Sultan Hassan, the numerous minarets of Cairo, the ancient windmills, the distant pyramids, and the green plain through which the Nile winds toward the sea. Miss Martineau says: “I would entreat any stranger to see this view, especially in the evening before sunset, when the beauty of it is beyond description. The vastness of the city as it lies stretched below surprises everyone. It looks a perfect wilderness of flat roofs, cupolas, and minarets, with an open space here and there, presenting the complete front of a mosque, gay groups of people and moving camels—a relief to the eye, though so diminished by distance.” It is rarely a traveler enjoys a prospect so varied and charming.