The Citadel, situated on a highly visible part of the Mokattam Mountains of old Cairo, was the nerve center of Egypt for almost 700 years. Construction of the grand structure began in 1176 and was completed by Mohammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt in the late 19th century. Memluk sultans and Turkish governors resided in the Citadel, which is among the world’s most splendid monuments of medieval warfare