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Ţābiyat Qāyitbāy

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    • TravelerEgypt & Morocco
      1
      Day 5

      Alexandria

      April 23, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 42 °C

      Today we left Cairo for Alexandria. We visited the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa. These amazing catacombs are vertical, unlike the Roman ones and a circular staircase takes you down into the depths. They date back to about the second century. From there we went to Fort Qaitbay, a 15th century limestone fortress with great views of the Mediterranean. The trip itself was an exercise in defensive driving. There seems to be very few road rules over here and nobody seems to obey them. And the horn is everyone’s friend. Fortunately, we have a skilled driver behind the wheel. And it appears Alexandria is where beer is served in wine glasses 🍻🤣Read more

    • TravelerEgypt & Türkiye
      Day 16

      From Catacombs to Castles

      October 10, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

      The city of Alexandria, which is a bit cooler than other cities in Egypt and reminds us a lot of Malta, was founded by Alexander the Great when he conquered ancient Egypt in 332 bce. For hundreds of years it was Egypt’s capital. It lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea northwest of Cairo.
      The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa that we visited today, are an ancient burial site that was built under Roman rule in the 2nd Century AD. The Catacombs are carved out of bedrock. You could easily get lost in the labyrinth that lies under the city and goes down 3 levels. Once again I am in awe of the architecture and actual building of this place. Keeping in mind there was no electricity so this was all done in the dark with some sort of candles or something. Well, maybe they did have electricity - at this point nothing would surprise me. There were rooms where feasts were held too. The blend of ancient Egyptian and Roman is very obvious.
      Next stop was Alexandria Library; the biggest in the world. What a magnificent structure and how tragic that in 400CE the original building burnt down destroying all the contents as well, including ancient scrolls ☹️☹️☹️
      We had a tour and saw old printing presses and all sorts of statues. There are apparently nearly 2 million books here and about ¼ have been digitalised and made available to everyone on their website. What a laborious job…..
      Finally we visited the biggest mosque in Alexandria and I learned so, so much about Islam (the “s” is pronounced “ssss” meaning light, and not “zzz” as that means darkness)
      Same with Muslim.
      Jim and I then ventured out to a big shopping centre just to mosey around before heading to the old fortress. It was a bit of a fiasco getting in but we figured it out and enjoyed exploring the site as the sunset. Tonight we had our last dinner with the group (tomorrow we are catching up with Aunty Vicky). Such a great group of people and I’ve particularly enjoyed Ahmed as our leader.
      Back to Cairo tomorrow.      Read more

    • TravelerEgypt Experience
      Day 4

      Alexandria 1; Qaitbay Citadel / Corniche

      November 20, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      We leave Cairo heading west, passing close to 6th October City (the date is a significant one for Egypt); this is still part of Cairo and here on the outskirts are may upmarket, gated communities. We now travel north into much greener countryside and reach Alexandria in 3 hours; this is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest on the Mediterranean Coast.

      Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and built under his orders, heralding the start of the Greco-Roman period of Egyptian history and becoming a centre of Hellenic civilisation.

      Qaitbay Citadel (aka The Fort of Qaitbay) is an important 15th century fortification system with a mosque inside it and is built on the foundations of the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World); it is possible to scuba dive here and see some of Ancient relics that are kept under water for their protection.

      We explore the Citadel and then drive along the waterfront road to our hotel; this waterfront promenade is known as The Corniche and extends for 10 miles east from the Citadel along the curved bay to Montaza.

      Later on, we walk along part of The Corniche and see Stanley Bridge with its private access beach behind it; this bridge was the first on Egypt to be constructed over the sea. There are many restaurants and areas of entertainment on the beach side of The Corniche, as Alexandria is a very popular resort for Egyptian tourists.      Read more

    • LadyandtrampEgypt for 1 Month, then Mexico

      Citadel of Qaitbey

      January 7, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      After being in two dark and somber, yet wondrous, cavelike places it was really nice to visit the restored picturesque Fort of Qaitbay at the eastern side of the harbour

      It was erected on the exact site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse continued to function until the time of the Arab conquest. Then, several disasters occurred and the shape of the lighthouse was changed to some extent, but it still continued to function.

      During the 11th century an earthquake occurred, causing damage to the octagonal part of the lighthouse. The bottom survived and it became a watchtower. Later a small mosque was built on the top. In the 14th century there was a very destructive earthquake and the whole building was completely destroyed. In 1840, a very strategic Mediterranean fort was erected over the old foundations.

      The largest stones of the citadel, forming the lintel and doorway of its entrance, as well as the red granite columns in the mosque within the walls, were probably salvaged from the huge tower that once stood here.

      It is a lovely, bright building with wonderful views over the bay.      Read more

    • Greece, Egypt and Jordan
      Day 22

      Citadel of Qaitbay

      January 11, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      Our final stop on our day in Alexandria was at the Citadel of Qaitbay. This impressive fortification was built in 1480 by the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay on the site of the remains of the legendary Pharos lighthouse. He used stone and other materials from the fallen lighthouse in the construction.

      The citadel has been extensively restored in recent times. Some would say it has been over-restored! First impressions as you approach the fort today is that it is a completely new construction. Nevertheless, it is impressive and definitely worth an hour or two of your time if you're in Alexandria.

      After our visit, we drove into the city centre where we stopped for Ray to buy us all schwarma. We weren't really hungry but it was included in the price of our tour! He came back with large tubs of 'schwarma fata', a local speciality consisting of beef or chicken topped with creamy garlic sauce on a bed of fried rice and crispy fried bread. It was too much for me. Our driver didn't seem that impressed, either! 😂

      We were back at the hotel by 5.30pm, in plenty of time for a final buffet dinner. Mark wasn't impressed because the price of a beer has increased by £2 a can overnight! It makes it £7 now!! Time to move on 😂      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Ţābiyat Qāyitbāy, Tabiyat Qayitbay, طابية قايتباي

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