Salah El Din Citadel Cairo: tickets, opening hours and what to see
The Citadel is open every day from 8am to 5pm. One area ticket costs EGP 60 for Egyptian adults and EGP 30 for Egyptian students, and EGP 550 for foreign adults and EGP 275 for foreign students.
The Citadel of Salah El Din (Saladin) on the Muqattam Hills is open every day of the week, 8am to 5pm. One area ticket takes you through the gate, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists these prices: Egyptian adults EGP 60, Egyptian students EGP 30, foreign adults EGP 550 and foreign students EGP 275.
Opening hours
The ministry lists the Citadel as open from 08:00 to 17:00, Sunday to Saturday. Some places inside keep shorter hours. The Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad opens from 09:00 to 16:00. The National Military Museum opens from 08:00 to 16:00, and the ministry says its ticket window closes at 4pm. The National Police Museum follows the Citadel's 08:00 to 17:00. Arrive by mid-afternoon if you want to see everything.
Ticket prices
Area entry ticket: Egyptian adults EGP 60, Egyptian students EGP 30, foreign adults EGP 550, foreign students EGP 275. The ministry does not publish a separate price for Arab visitors at the gate.
Little train (the cart that runs inside the site): EGP 5 for Egyptian and Arab adults and students, EGP 10 for foreign adults and EGP 5 for foreign students.
Vehicle entry: EGP 25 for a taxi or private car, EGP 75 for a minibus and EGP 100 for a bus.
The Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad is included in the Citadel ticket.
Who gets in free
The ministry's page for the Police Museum inside the Citadel lists free entry for Egyptians aged 60 and over, Egyptians with special needs, orphaned children, children under 6, and government and Al-Azhar primary and preparatory school trips booked in advance through the Rehla platform.
What to see inside
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali, built in 1848 on the site of Mamluk palaces. It is called the Alabaster Mosque for the marble on its walls, and its twin minarets, each 84 metres, are the highest in Egypt. In the courtyard stands the copper clock tower that King Louis Philippe of France gave Muhammad Ali in 1845; Egypt sent back an obelisk of Ramesses II that now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. 2. The Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, the royal mosque of the Mamluk sultans, ordered in 1318 and rebuilt in 1335, in the Citadel's southern section. 3. Joseph's Well (Bir Yusuf), dug in the rock about 90 metres deep while the Citadel was being built, with a spiral staircase around it and two levels. 4. The National Police Museum, in the northern section, with halls on the police in ancient Egypt and the Islamic period, old fire engines, and the Lions Tower found under the building. 5. The National Military Museum in al-Haram Palace, with weapons, uniforms and models, and real tanks and aircraft from the October 1973 war in its open-air area. 6. The Mosque of Sulayman Pasha al-Khadim from the Ottoman period, and the Al-Jawhara Palace Museum.
A little history
Salah El Din ordered a fortress on the Muqattam Hills in 1176 but did not live to see it finished. Sultan al-Kamel completed it in 1207 and made it the seat of Egypt's rulers. It stayed that way until Khedive Ismail moved the seat of government to Abdeen Palace in the 19th century. From the walls you still get one of the widest views over historic Cairo.
Photos and rules
Photos on a mobile phone are free. The ministry asks visitors not to use flash and not to photograph other visitors or staff. Filming for television, cinema, adverts or documentaries needs a permit and a daily fee.
Common questions
How long do I need? The ministry does not publish a suggested visit time. Inside are three mosques, a well and two large museums.
Can I buy tickets online? The ministry's Citadel page lists prices at the site only and does not mention online booking.
Is it open on Fridays? Yes, the ministry lists the same hours every day of the week.