Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexandria

Qaitbay Citadel tickets and opening hours

Foreign adults pay 200 EGP; students aged 24 and under with a valid ID pay 100 EGP, and under-6s are free. These are the official Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities prices, and one ticket covers the courtyard, walls and keep.

The citadel is open every day from 9:00. The ministry’s ticketing site gives last entry at 17:00 in winter, 19:00 in summer and 15:00 in Ramadan, and asks visitors to arrive at least an hour before closing. Another ministry page simply says 9:00–20:00 daily, so plan on the earlier times.

Buy on the official Egymonuments website, in the Experience Egypt app or at the ticket office. Tickets are dated and non-refundable. The ministry says Visa and Mastercard are accepted in every channel, the booth included, so a foreign card is the easy option. Phone photos are free; keep a few small pounds for toilets and tips.

Is the Citadel of Qaitbay worth visiting?

Yes — it is Alexandria’s signature view and the closest you can get to the ancient Pharos. Don’t expect rich museum galleries: you come for the walls, the keep, the sea on three sides and the story of the site. An hour is enough, an hour and a half if you like taking photos.

If you have only a few hours between trains, pair it with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and a Corniche walk. If you are hoping to see the lighthouse itself, you won’t: nothing of it survives above water.

History: from the Lighthouse of Alexandria to a Mamluk fort

The Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, stood on the tip of Pharos island for over a millennium. Earthquakes battered it, and in 1303 it finally collapsed. Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbay built his fort on the site in 1477–1479 (some sources say by 1480), reusing the fallen stone to guard Alexandria against attack from the sea.

Its later life was military. The French took it in 1798, Muhammad Ali re-armed it with coastal cannon, and the British bombardment of 1882 wrecked the western façade. After 1952 the navy ran a Maritime Museum here; the largest restoration came in 1984. The lighthouse’s remains lie on the floor of the Eastern Harbour.

What to see inside

• The keep in the north-west corner — a three-storey square fort with half-round corner towers and projecting defensive balconies.
• The small mosque inside the fortress, part of Qaitbay’s original design.
• The outer wall and its towers, closing off the harbour mouth.
• The inner wall, lined with rooms once used as barracks and stores.
• The old cistern by the keep, which watered soldiers and horses.
• Views over the Eastern Harbour, the curve of the Corniche and the open Mediterranean.

Qaitbay vs Kom el-Shoqafa and Pompey’s Pillar

The catacombs and the pillar are about 500 m apart — do them together in the morning. Qaitbay stays open later, so save it for the afternoon.

Alexandria’s historic sites compared

Every historic site in Alexandria rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

43

Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

Alexandria, Egypt

20 min · Free, between prayer times · 15 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque

44

Alexandria Corniche

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h · Free · 31 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Alexandria Corniche

45

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h 30 min · 150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums · 40 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Bibliotheca Alexandrina

How to do it right

• Go in the early afternoon: winter last entry is 17:00 and the walls deserve an unhurried hour.
• Walk on to the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque — it is under a kilometre away.
• The classic photo of the fort is from the Corniche across the harbour, not from inside.
• Wear proper shoes — the keep has steep stone stairs.
• Bring student ID if you are 24 or under: it halves the price.
• Leave the drone at the hotel — flying one needs a Ministry of Defence permit.

Questions