DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4645#0047
CITADEL OF CAIRO, THE RESIDENCE OF THE PASHA.
This striking view is taken from a ruined mosque near the city walls, and looking towards the rock
of the Citadel, which stretches along the horizon from where it intercepts the range of the distant
Mocattam hills to the Great Mosque of the Sultan Hassan. Between the observer and the hill of
the Citadel lies the great necropolis of Cairo, that part of the eastern desert which extends from its
walls to the Mocattam range, in which the dead of ages are laid, and where those splendid religious
edifices are found which are commonly called the Tombs of the Sultans. The ruined mosque in the
foreground is built in an angle of the city wall. From one of the gates below a caravan is seen
issuing, and masses of building which intervene between the ruined mosque and the Citadel are
broken by the domes and minarets of the mosques of Cairo.
The Citadel itself is covered with a range of buildings that present, in this view, rather the
appearance of a barracks than the palace and mosque of the Pasha, where he holds his court,
though his domestic residence is in the Isle of Shoubra.
The fortress of the Citadel is, however, very strong, and is erected upon a promontory or spur
of the Mocattam hills, which forms a table two hundred feet above the plain of the city, and
completely commands it; it is strongly fortified, especially towards the city. The Saladin of history
and of romance was its founder; he built its defences in the twelfth century, and manfully opposed
Richard Cceur de Lion and Philip Augustus. The French, during their occupation of Cairo, fifty
years ago, strengthened the fortifications by outworks; and Mehemet Ali has still further improved
its defences. He also built the splendid palace and hareem which are seen on the right cresting the
hill. The Citadel is the lofty building which on the left of the range intercepts the more distant
Mocattam. The minaret of the old or great mosque rises between the Citadel and the palace; and
another grand mosque, now erecting, is intercepted by the dome of the ruined mosque in the
foreground.
The new palace is magnificent and capacious, combining the splendour of the East with all the
luxuries of Europe which he could command. Gorgeous chandeliers from England and mirrors from
France; plate-glass in such profusion that the windows of the state-apartments are triply glazed to
keep out the sand of the Desert. The ceilings are painted in fresco, the marbles of Italy are
employed in the decoration, and gorgeous carpets from England form the furniture of this vice-regal
residence.
The Hall of Audience is a noble apartment, one hundred and fifty feet long, and one hundred
and twenty wide, paved with marble. Besides the palace, there is a mosque, not yet completed,
which is intended to surpass all others in Cairo. Within the Citadel are many public offices,—
the Mint, the Hall of Justice, and the Arsenal. To make room for the mosque, the famous Hall,
of Joseph, a lofty building supported on numerous handsome granite columns, was removed in 1829;
a few of the columns only are yet standing, but those which formerly stood there were so carelessly
removed that by far the greater number were broken — a fate that probably awaits the removal of
the remainder.
-
There are still some remains of the palace of Saladin, and the fine minaret of his mosque
remains, but the ruined palace is used as a weaving manufactory! On the Citadel is a relic of the
great Saladin, not so easily destroyed or misappropriated, it is known as Joseph's Well, which is
sunk in the solid rock to the depth of two hundred and eighty feet, and is forty-two feet in
circumference. A winding gallery, which mules can ascend and descend, reaches to the water; this
well renders the Citadel independent of the aqueduct from the Nile.
It may be easily imagined how very fine the view of Cairo and the surrounding country must
be from those accessible points of the Citadel which complete a panoramic survey, especially from
the platform, where the city is seen below the observer, with its thousand minarets and domes \
and the valley of the Nile is commanded from the Great Pyramids and those of Saccara on the
south, and towards the north, to its subsidence into the Delta.
This striking view is taken from a ruined mosque near the city walls, and looking towards the rock
of the Citadel, which stretches along the horizon from where it intercepts the range of the distant
Mocattam hills to the Great Mosque of the Sultan Hassan. Between the observer and the hill of
the Citadel lies the great necropolis of Cairo, that part of the eastern desert which extends from its
walls to the Mocattam range, in which the dead of ages are laid, and where those splendid religious
edifices are found which are commonly called the Tombs of the Sultans. The ruined mosque in the
foreground is built in an angle of the city wall. From one of the gates below a caravan is seen
issuing, and masses of building which intervene between the ruined mosque and the Citadel are
broken by the domes and minarets of the mosques of Cairo.
The Citadel itself is covered with a range of buildings that present, in this view, rather the
appearance of a barracks than the palace and mosque of the Pasha, where he holds his court,
though his domestic residence is in the Isle of Shoubra.
The fortress of the Citadel is, however, very strong, and is erected upon a promontory or spur
of the Mocattam hills, which forms a table two hundred feet above the plain of the city, and
completely commands it; it is strongly fortified, especially towards the city. The Saladin of history
and of romance was its founder; he built its defences in the twelfth century, and manfully opposed
Richard Cceur de Lion and Philip Augustus. The French, during their occupation of Cairo, fifty
years ago, strengthened the fortifications by outworks; and Mehemet Ali has still further improved
its defences. He also built the splendid palace and hareem which are seen on the right cresting the
hill. The Citadel is the lofty building which on the left of the range intercepts the more distant
Mocattam. The minaret of the old or great mosque rises between the Citadel and the palace; and
another grand mosque, now erecting, is intercepted by the dome of the ruined mosque in the
foreground.
The new palace is magnificent and capacious, combining the splendour of the East with all the
luxuries of Europe which he could command. Gorgeous chandeliers from England and mirrors from
France; plate-glass in such profusion that the windows of the state-apartments are triply glazed to
keep out the sand of the Desert. The ceilings are painted in fresco, the marbles of Italy are
employed in the decoration, and gorgeous carpets from England form the furniture of this vice-regal
residence.
The Hall of Audience is a noble apartment, one hundred and fifty feet long, and one hundred
and twenty wide, paved with marble. Besides the palace, there is a mosque, not yet completed,
which is intended to surpass all others in Cairo. Within the Citadel are many public offices,—
the Mint, the Hall of Justice, and the Arsenal. To make room for the mosque, the famous Hall,
of Joseph, a lofty building supported on numerous handsome granite columns, was removed in 1829;
a few of the columns only are yet standing, but those which formerly stood there were so carelessly
removed that by far the greater number were broken — a fate that probably awaits the removal of
the remainder.
-
There are still some remains of the palace of Saladin, and the fine minaret of his mosque
remains, but the ruined palace is used as a weaving manufactory! On the Citadel is a relic of the
great Saladin, not so easily destroyed or misappropriated, it is known as Joseph's Well, which is
sunk in the solid rock to the depth of two hundred and eighty feet, and is forty-two feet in
circumference. A winding gallery, which mules can ascend and descend, reaches to the water; this
well renders the Citadel independent of the aqueduct from the Nile.
It may be easily imagined how very fine the view of Cairo and the surrounding country must
be from those accessible points of the Citadel which complete a panoramic survey, especially from
the platform, where the city is seen below the observer, with its thousand minarets and domes \
and the valley of the Nile is commanded from the Great Pyramids and those of Saccara on the
south, and towards the north, to its subsidence into the Delta.