# Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque > The Cairo Citadel is Saladin’s medieval fortress on a hill above the old city, home to the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali, the Mamluk mosque of al-Nasir and a terrace with sweeping views. Foreign visitors pay 550 EGP, mosques included. Open daily from 8:00 (9:00 in summer), last entry 16:00. Allow about 90 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/cairo-citadel - City: [Cairo](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo), Egypt - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket (foreign visitors): 550 EGP - Students up to 24: 275 EGP with a valid student ID - Children: Under 6 free - Hours: Daily; from 8:00 in winter, 9:00 in summer, last entry 16:00 - Ramadan: From 8:00, last entry 15:30 - Car entry: Taxi or car — 25 EGP - Where to buy: Egymonuments website, Experience Egypt app or the ticket office - Payment: Visa and Mastercard accepted in every sales channel - Phone photos: Free - Entrance: Bab al-Gabal gate, off Salah Salem Road - Gawhara Palace: Closed for restoration (unofficial) - Military Museum: Not always open — ask at the gate - Coordinates: 30.02940, 31.26140 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1176** — Saladin began the fortress; Sultan al-Kamil completed it (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 700 years** — as the seat of Egypt’s rulers, until Khedive Ismail moved to Abdeen Palace (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **1830–1848** — Muhammad Ali Mosque built; decoration finished by 1857 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 52 m** — height of the main dome, about 21 m across (source: English and Russian Wikipedia (Mosque of Muhammad Ali)) - **≈ 80 m** — height of each of the two pencil-thin Ottoman minarets (source: English Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia gives about 82 m) - **1979** — listed by UNESCO as part of Historic Cairo (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Louis-Philippe’s clock** — the courtyard clock tower was a French royal gift, swapped for the Luxor obelisk (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1318** — Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad built; rebuilt in 1335 (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **1528** — Ottoman Mosque of Sulayman Pasha built in the northern enclosure (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **≈ 85 m** — depth of Joseph’s Well, cut into the rock under Saladin (source: English Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (no depth given)) - **1814** — Gawhara Palace built as Muhammad Ali’s residence (source: English Wikipedia; Wikivoyage) ## Cairo Citadel tickets and opening hours Foreign visitors pay **550 EGP**; students up to 24 with ID pay 275 EGP and under-6s go free. One ticket covers the whole site, including the Muhammad Ali Mosque and any museums that are open. If your taxi drives up to the car park, there is a separate 25 EGP vehicle fee. The Citadel is open **every day**. In winter the gates open at 8:00, in summer at 9:00; last entry is **16:00** and the site closes at 17:00. During Ramadan, last entry is 15:30. The ministry asks visitors to arrive at least an hour before closing. Buy on the official Egymonuments website, in the Experience Egypt app or at the ticket office. The ministry says Visa and Mastercard work in every channel, including the booth, so a foreign card is the easy option. Keep small Egyptian pounds anyway for toilets and tips. Phone photography is free. > **It is a working mosque: what to wear** Cover shoulders and knees — no shorts or vest tops. Bring a scarf: some guides say women must cover their hair, others say it is optional, so it is safer to have one. Shoes come off before the prayer hall. During prayers, especially Friday midday, tourists may be kept out of the hall, so come in the morning. ## How to get to the Cairo Citadel 1. No metro station is close, so from Tahrir Square take **Uber, Careem or inDrive** — about 5 km, 15–25 minutes depending on traffic. Unmetered street taxis usually cost more. 2. Set the pin to “Salah El-Din Citadel, Bab al-Gabal” on Salah Salem Road — that is the visitor entrance. Midan Salah al-Din by the Sultan Hassan Mosque is on the other side of the hill — don’t get dropped there. 3. Walk up the short slope from the car park to the gate and buy your ticket. 4. Head straight for the Muhammad Ali Mosque and the terrace beside it while tour groups are fewer. 5. Book your ride back to the same gate. [Al-Azhar Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/al-azhar-mosque) and Khan el-Khalili are 10–15 minutes away by car. ## Is the Cairo Citadel worth visiting? Yes, especially on a first trip, when you want more of Cairo than pharaohs. The Muhammad Ali Mosque is the city’s skyline landmark, and the terrace shows just how vast Cairo is. Ninety minutes covers the highlights, leaving time to walk down to the great Mamluk mosques of Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai below. The downsides, honestly: the museums are modest, some halls are often shut and Gawhara Palace is under restoration. If you have already seen the big imperial mosques of Istanbul, the Alabaster Mosque will look familiar — it copies them. In that case, the view and the older Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad are the real reasons to come. ## The Muhammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque Built between 1830 and 1848 for Egypt’s ruler **Muhammad Ali Pasha**, the mosque is entirely Ottoman in form, modelled on the imperial mosques of Istanbul. Its domes and two pencil minarets, each about 80 m tall, are visible from much of Cairo. The lower walls and courtyard are faced with alabaster, hence the nickname **Alabaster Mosque**. Inside, the central dome rises about 52 m above hanging lamps and chandeliers. Muhammad Ali lies in a white marble tomb behind a bronze screen in a corner of the prayer hall. Out in the courtyard stands an ornate iron clock tower — King Louis-Philippe of France sent it in return for the obelisk now in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. ## What to see inside the Citadel - **Muhammad Ali Mosque** — the domed prayer hall, the pasha’s tomb and the clock-tower courtyard. - **The terrace** next to the mosque — the minarets of old Cairo below and, on a clear day, the Giza pyramids on the horizon. - **Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad** (14th century) — a stern Mamluk courtyard mosque, two centuries older than Ottoman rule in Egypt. - **Mosque of Sulayman Pasha** (1528) — a small Ottoman mosque in the northern, military enclosure. - **Police Museum** in the old prison, and the towers along the northern walls. - **National Military Museum** in Muhammad Ali’s former harem palace, when open — aircraft and tanks stand outside. - The **Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai mosques** at the foot of the hill — easy to add right after. ## A short history Saladin began the fortress in **1176** to guard Cairo against the Crusaders, and his nephew Sultan al-Kamil finished it and moved the court here. For nearly seven centuries Mamluk sultans, Ottoman governors and then Muhammad Ali’s dynasty ruled Egypt from this hill, until Khedive Ismail moved to Abdeen Palace in the new downtown in the 19th century. British and then Egyptian troops used the Citadel afterwards; it opened to the public only in the 1980s. Today it is part of the Historic Cairo UNESCO World Heritage Site. The southern enclosure was the royal residence, the northern one the military quarter — which is why the museums are there. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] I’ll reach the gate before 16:00 - [ ] Not Friday midday — or I’m going in the morning - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, scarf in my bag - [ ] Socks — the mosque carpet is shoeless - [ ] Visa or Mastercard, or a ticket booked online - [ ] Uber or Careem installed - [ ] Small Egyptian pounds for toilets and tips - [ ] Water and a hat — the terrace has no shade ## Citadel vs Egyptian Museum vs NMEC | | Cairo Citadel | Egyptian Museum | NMEC | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Medieval fortress with mosques | Pharaonic antiquities on Tahrir | Egypt’s story and the mummy hall | | Foreign visitor ticket | 550 EGP | 550 EGP | 550 EGP | | Hours | From 8:00 (9:00 in summer), last entry 16:00 | 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00 | 9:00–17:00, plus 18:00–21:00 on Fridays | | Time needed | ≈ 1.5 h | 2–3 h | 1.5–2 h | | Outdoors | Mostly | No | No | The Citadel is the only one of the three that shows Islamic Cairo and the city from above. Do it in the cool of the morning and keep the museums for the hot afternoon. ## Cairo’s historic sights compared Every historic place in Cairo rated by YesGo. - [Memphis](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/ancient-memphis) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · EGP 200, students EGP 100 - [Egyptian Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/egyptian-museum) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · EGP 550, students EGP 275 - [Al-Azhar Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/al-azhar-mosque) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/cairo-citadel) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 550 EGP, students 275 EGP - [Giza Pyramids](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/giza-pyramids) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · EGP 700, Great Pyramid inside extra - [Khan el-Khalili](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/khan-el-khalili) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Hanging Church](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/hanging-church) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry - [Grand Egyptian Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/grand-egyptian-museum) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ EGP 1,830, online only - [Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/saqqara) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · EGP 600, pyramid interior +280 - [National Museum of Egyptian Civilization](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/egyptian-civilization-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · EGP 550, mummies included ## Coptic and Islamic Cairo in a day Coptic Cairo first thing, the Citadel before lunch, then Al-Azhar and the bazaar in the evening. 1. [Hanging Church](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/hanging-church) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry 2. [Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/cairo-citadel) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 550 EGP, students 275 EGP 3. [Al-Azhar Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/al-azhar-mosque) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 4. [Khan el-Khalili](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/khan-el-khalili) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free ## Good to know You will see it called the Saladin Citadel, the Citadel of Salah El-Din or simply the Citadel — all the same place. “Saladin’s Castle” on Pharaoh’s Island near Taba, in Sinai, is a different, much smaller fortress more than 300 km away. ## Tips - Arrive at opening time: the terrace is quieter and the mosque is at its brightest. - Walk down to the Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai mosques straight after — they sit right below the hill. - Wear socks; you will be on the mosque carpet barefoot otherwise. - For a shot of the domes and minarets, step into the courtyard of the neighbouring al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque. - End the day at [Khan el-Khalili](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/khan-el-khalili), 10–15 minutes away by car. - Short on time? Many tours pair the Citadel with the [National Museum of Egyptian Civilization](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/egyptian-civilization-museum) in Fustat. ## Questions ### How much is the Cairo Citadel ticket? 550 EGP for foreign adults, 275 EGP for students up to 24 with ID, free for under-6s. The Muhammad Ali Mosque is included. ### What are the Cairo Citadel opening hours? Daily from 8:00 in winter and 9:00 in summer; last entry 16:00, closing 17:00. During Ramadan, last entry is 15:30. ### How do I get to the Cairo Citadel from Tahrir Square? Uber, Careem or inDrive — about 5 km, 15–25 minutes. There is no nearby metro. Ask for the Bab al-Gabal entrance on Salah Salem Road. ### Is the Cairo Citadel worth visiting? Yes for the Muhammad Ali Mosque, the Mamluk mosque of al-Nasir and the view over Cairo. The museums inside are modest, so 90 minutes is enough. ### How long do you need at the Cairo Citadel? About 1.5 hours for the mosques and the terrace; half a day if you add the museums and the Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai mosques below. ### What should I wear to the Muhammad Ali Mosque? Shoulders and knees covered; shoes off at the prayer hall. Women should carry a scarf for their hair and shoulders. ### Can I pay by card at the Citadel? Yes. The ministry’s ticketing accepts Visa and Mastercard online and at the ticket office. Carry small pounds for toilets and tips. ### Can you see the pyramids from the Cairo Citadel? On a clear day, yes — from the terrace beside the Muhammad Ali Mosque. Haze often hides them. ### Is the Citadel open on Fridays? Yes, it opens every day. During Friday midday prayers, though, visitors may be kept out of the mosque prayer hall, so go in the morning. ## How we checked Fares, concessions, hours, last entry and the vehicle fee come from two official Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities pages. They differ on opening time: the site page says 8:00–17:00, the ticketing page gives 8:00 in winter, 9:00 in summer and last entry at 16:00 — we show both. The completion date also differs: the ministry says al-Kamil finished the fortress around 1207, Wikipedia dates the first works to 1183–1184; we simply say al-Kamil completed it. Minaret height is about 80 m in English Wikipedia and about 82 m in Russian. What is closed inside (Gawhara Palace, the Military Museum), the headscarf rule and Bab al-Gabal as the only entrance are unofficial and marked “verifying”. The ministry price list also shows a 10 EGP “cart” ticket without explaining it, so we leave it out. ## Sources - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities: Cairo Citadel — history, fares, hours (egymonuments.gov.eg) - Ministry ticketing: Salah Eldin Citadel — fares, winter, summer and Ramadan hours, rules (egymonuments.com) - English and Russian Wikipedia: Cairo Citadel, Mosque of Muhammad Ali; Wikidata Q1988240 - Wikivoyage: Cairo/Islamic Cairo — what is open inside the Citadel - EuropeSays — one-off opening of the Military Museum - English Wikipedia: Pharaoh's Island — the fortress near Taba --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.