Fortifications of Cairo

The fortifications of the historic city of Cairo, Egypt, include defensive walls and gates that were built, rebuilt, and expanded in different periods.

The first set of walls were built during the foundation of Fatimid Cairo in the 10th century. These were rebuilt in the late 11th century on the orders of the Fatimid vizier Badr al-Jamali. In the 12th century, the Ayyubid sultan Salah ad-Din (Saladin) restored the walls and began a major extension to the south. He also began construction on the Citadel of Cairo, a military complex that would serve as the center of power in Egypt for centuries afterwards.

Some sections of the historic walls are still preserved today, mainly on the north and east sides of the city, as well as much of the Citadel. Only three gates are fully preserved, all dating from the late 11th-century Fatimid reconstruction: Bab al-Nasr, Bab al-Futuh, and Bab Zuwayla. Some other gates have been partially recovered through archeological excavations, such as Bab al-Barqiyya.