On February 18, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, inaugurated Ramla and Al-Haddad Towers at Cairo Citadel after the completion of restoration operations. The opening of these unique archaeological sites at the citadel will promote the cultural product of Greater Cairo, make Cairo an independent tourist destination, increase the average number of tourist nights, and boost one-day trips.
Ramla Tower, built during the era of Sultan Al-Nasser Saladin Al-Ayyubi (1174-1193), is shaped like a three-quarter circle and consists of two floors. Each floor has a base on which three cubits are perpendicular, with each cubit having an arrow slit.
The tower was expanded during the era of Sultan Al-Adil Al-Ayyubi (1200-1218), so the arrow slits were turned into door openings leading to rectangular rooms covered with vaults, each room ending with an arrow slit opening.
On the other hand, Al-Haddad Tower, one of the largest towers of the citadel, is also in the shape of a three-quarter circle. It consists of a perpendicular base with a shield in the middle covered by a crossed vault. It has three cubits that end with embellished openings. Then, two embellished openings turn into two doors that lead to a corridor in the form of a semicircle covered with intersecting vaults.
The restoration of the two towers is part of implementing one of the axes of the National Strategy for Developing Tourism, which the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities has launched to improve the tourist experience.
The citadel has 12 additional towers, but they are currently closed. The restoration process of the two towers includes:
- Cleaning the stones.
- Replacing damaged stones.
- Maintaining the stone stairs.
- Establishing barriers to protect visitors.
- Maintaining the stone floors in preparation for including them in the citadel’s itinerary.
