Qaitbay Citadel is preparing for a new summer tourist season… Changing the closing times to 8 pm… 3 sound and light shows daily… Rare fish in the Aquarium Museum are “interesting”… Boat cruises and the most unique stagecoach rides… Photos

Qaitbay Citadel is preparing for a new summer tourist season, as the citadel receives tourist trips, whether from domestic tourism from various governorates of Egypt or foreign tourists, and the tourism movement in the citadel revives during the summer season due to the demand for Alexandria For summer vacation.

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The largest archaeological area in Alexandria

And it counts Qaitbay Citadel In the Bahri area, Al-Jumrok District, it is one of the largest Islamic monuments in the governorate and receives large numbers of visitors and expatriates annually, as the castle receives about 50 thousand visitors and tourists annually.

Qaitbay Citadel witnesses great demand during holidays and vacations. It is the largest archaeological area in Alexandria, and it provides the opportunity to spend a complete day of joy and many aspects of entertainment. It is a complete excursion in the arms of history and antiquities, and enjoying the sea as well.

The castle from the inside

You can enter the castle from the inside, where you will be taken on an interesting tour inside the castle building, the basements, and the archaeological cannons, in addition to enjoying the sound and light show in the evening for the first time this Eid, as Qaitbay Citadel witnessed, during the year 2024, the opening of the sound and light show, for the first time in Alexandria, and for the first time in an Islamic monument.

The plaza is spacious and allows for strolling

Given that Qaitbay Citadel is located in the Bahri area at the end of the Alexandria Corniche, it is characterized by an expansive plaza that allows children to stroll and ride bicycles, as well as horse riding in a cheerful entertainment atmosphere. There is also a tourist promenade in which there are a number of vendors’ bazaars selling souvenirs to visitors, perhaps the most famous of which are sea shells and various accessories made from those shells, in addition to Pharaonic souvenirs for foreign tourists who They flock to the castle throughout the months of the year.

Castle Museums

As for spending an enjoyable day in the castle square, you can spend the day on the tongue facing the sea, or enter the museums located in the outer courtyard, which is the Aquarium Museum, which contains a variety of marine creatures, whether living in the Mediterranean Sea or the Red Sea, and some from different seas and oceans around the world. The museum also contains a collection of types of poisonous and dangerous fish with pointed teeth.

As for the opposite side, there is the Museum of Mummifications. It contains a rare collection of stuffed fish, the most prominent of which is a shark, a skeleton of a huge crocodile discovered 100 years ago, and some ancient fossils of a group of fish. As for the rice, it is a stuffed animal of a real mermaid, which is a marine creature that has the shape of a fish.

Boating and cruises

The most distinctive thing in the Qaitbay Citadel tourist area is boating and sea excursions, where yachts are anchored, to take you on a sea trip from the Citadel to the Library of Alexandria.

Stagecoach trips

As well as an enjoyable trip riding a stagecoach, on a tour that starts from Qaitbay Citadel, and heads to the most prominent landmarks of the Bahri area, from Farouk Coffee Shop to Al-Sayala, Mosques Square, and finally the Marsa Abu Al-Abbas Mosque.

Qaitbay Citadel timings have been changed to daylight saving time

For his part, Mohamed Metwally, Director General of Alexandria Antiquities, said that with the beginning of daylight saving time, the timing for closing Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria was modified to begin daylight saving time.

New appointments

– The castle opened at nine in the morning

– The box office closes at seven in the evening and the castle closes at eight in the evening for 11 consecutive hours daily

Sound and light shows

Then the castle opens its doors again for visitors to watch sound and light shows

– First show at 8:30 pm

The second show is 9:30 pm

In case of demand, it will be added

A third show is at 10:30 pm

History of Qaitbay Citadel

Qaitbay Citadel is considered the most important castles on the Mediterranean coast. It was established by the Mamluk Sultan Abu al-Nasr al-Ashraf Qaytbay between the years (882-884 AH / 1477-1479 AD) in place of the old lighthouse of Alexandria and on the foundations of the lighthouse, which was completely demolished in the year (702 AH / 1303 AD) during the reign of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun. The purpose of its construction was to protect the Egyptian coasts from external dangers, and he supervised its construction. It was built by Al-Badri Ibn Al-Kuwayzir and Al-Alaa Ibn Qadi Bey.

The castle included a mosque, a furnace, a mill, weapons stores, and a seat overlooking the sea to see the boats entering the eastern port, in addition to the outer wall and the inner wall (built by Muhammad Ali). Many parts of the castle were demolished when the British attacked Alexandria on July 11, 1882 AD. The demolished parts were rebuilt and the castle was restored at different periods. The area of the castle is about 17,750 square meters.