The fortress of Qaitbey enjoys a perfect position, at the end of a narrow strip of land extending into the Eastern Port of Alexandria. After having lasted for about two centuries, the lighthouse was already in ruins in the fifteenth century.
The medieval fortress of Qaitbey was constructed in the 15th century on the Pharos island where the famous Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria was standing, built on the ruins of the ancient Lighthouse. It enjoys a perfect position, at the end of a narrow strip of land extending into the Eastern Port of Alexandria. After having lasted for about two centuries, the lighthouse was already in ruins in the 15th century.
In 1480 the Mamluk sultan Qaitbey decided to make use its still solid foundations to establish a coastal stronghold against the Turks, what remains nowadays from the fortress is nothing faithful to its first structure, as it suffered against heavy naval attack by of the British armies, after which it was largely rebuilt. The fortress no longer had military functions for a very long time, now, it houses a small naval museum.
Discover the Qaitbay Fortress and many other monuments in the city that was built by the legendary Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great in 332 B.C by booking the traditional day tour to Alexandria from Cairo to enjoy the best atmosphere in the whole country of Egypt.