The Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque and the Khan al-Khalili bazaar

Egypt Holidays - The Citadel of Saladin

Your driver and guide will collect you from your hotel* and take you to the old city of Cairo.  Visit the famous Khan al-Khalili bazaar and two of the most important monuments of Islamic Cairo: the imposing Citadel and the Mohamed Ali Mosque.

Begun in the late 12th century by Salah-al-Din (perhaps better known in English as Saladin, the chivalrous opponent of the Crusaders), the Citadel dominates the Cairo skyline with its domes and minarets and for hundreds of years was the residence of Egypt's rulers. Today the main features within this huge walled fortress date from the 19th century, including the Mohamed Ali Mosque (also known as the 'Alabaster Mosque'), which was commissioned by Mohamed Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.  Situated on the summit of the Citadel it is the most visible of Cairo's mosques and has become a symbol of the old city. 

* This excursion is often taken in the afternoon following a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, in which case you will retain the driver and guide from the morning's excursion and not return to your hotel in between.  Lunch (not included) can be taken in Central Cairo.

Below: LEFT - brassware in the Khan al-Khalili bazaar; RIGHT - Mohamed Ali Mosque.