Citadel of Qaitbay
A fifteenth-century Mamluk fortress on the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse, guarding Alexandria's Eastern Harbour.
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Share a photoHistory & haunting lore
Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay built the citadel in 1477 using stones quarried from the ruined Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders. Ottoman and British occupations followed, and the fort's guns once controlled Mediterranean trade routes.
Beneath the waves nearby lie Ptolemaic palaces and, by legend, the tomb of Alexander the Great never found. Fishermen and divers trade stories of lights moving along submerged walls, while the fort's ramparts offer views that feel layered with 2,300 years of lost city.
Current site status
Open daily with museum exhibits in the keep; the outer breakwater walk can be slippery and is closed during rough seas.