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Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.
The Northern Enclosure of Cairo's Citadel is surrounded by the Citadel's original Ayyubid walls and towers.
The BURG AR-RAMLA (Sand Tower) and the BURG AL-HADDAD (Blacksmith's Tower), were first built by
Salah ad-Din. They originally had diameters of seven meters and projectcd six meters from the walls.
Al-Kamil tripled their size by encasing them in new towers, filled with inner chambers. The enlarged Burg
al-Haddad is also equipped with machicoulis. During the French occupation (1798-1801), the arrow-slits
of the tower were converted into squares embrasures for cannon.
* The walls of the Northern Enclosure turn west after the Bab al-Haddad.
* The northern walls of the Northern Enclosure date from two main periods. Tlie first 190 meters (east)
were built by Salah ad-Din, and the final 200 meters (west) are the work of Muhammad 'Ali.
* Next to the Burg al-Haddad Is a walled-up POSTERN GATE from the time of Salah ad-Din. lt allowed the
Citadel garrison to make surprise sorties against an enemy's position outside the walls. Also notice the five
windows, which were cut into the same segment of wall during the British occupation to provide light for the
rooms of a barracks building, once located between the Burg al-Haddad and the Burg ar-Ramla.
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Last updated: 6/12/06