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El Gomrok District
El Gomrok District

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AntiquitiesThe Islamic centuries

Qaitbay Citadel

A citadel the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbay built between 1477 and 1479 over the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, at the tip of the El Anfoushi peninsula.
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Qaitbay Citadel from the front: the keep with its corner towers and crenellations, the Egyptian flag above, under a clear blue sky, with small figures of visitors at the gate

Image credits

The story

What sets it apart

Pale limestone on the rock of the old Lighthouse, between the Eastern Harbour and the open sea.

  • 1The keep and its corner towers
  • 2The walls over the sea
  • 3The site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities says the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaitbay built the citadel between 882 and 884 AH (1477 to 1479), over the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

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The citadel’s photograph appears in the El Gomrok District document the Alexandria Governorate published, and its table of shiakha boundaries gives the citadel as the north limit of El Sayala (1).

In April 2026 the district’s news on the governorate portal reported work to upgrade the citadel’s terraces, and the Governor of Alexandria toured the works around it in February 2026.

The Islamic centuries7th century – 1800

Its place in time

  1. Before itThe Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi and the Mosques SquareThe sheikh of the 13th century; the square renewed in 2026
  2. This landmarkQaitbay Citadel1477 to 1479 (882 to 884 AH)
  3. After itTerbana Mosque1685 (1097 AH)

On the timeline of all the landmarks

Memories of the place

Every memory is taken from a published, documented source, named under it.

  1. 1477 to 1479

    The Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaitbay built the citadel between 882 and 884 AH, over the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

    Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, egymonuments.gov.eg: Qaitbay Fort (read 28 Oct 2026)

The other memories 2

  1. 2016

    The Alexandria Governorate put the citadel’s photograph in El Gomrok District’s boundary document, and its table made the citadel the north limit of El Sayala (1).

    Source: Alexandria Governorate: «حى الجمرك», the district’s boundary document (17 Jan 2016; archived 22 Jan 2025)

  2. April 2026

    The district followed the work to upgrade the citadel’s terraces.

    Source: Alexandria Governorate, El Gomrok District: news page (April 2026; archived 13 Jun 2026)

Around it

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Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Nearby landmarks

Distances are as the crow flies, and approximate.