Citadel of Qaitbay

Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

The Citadel of Qaitbay is an old fort located in Alexandria, Egypt. It was built out of the ruins from the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Tickets are purchased at the entrance to the fort.

The fort is fairly large. We arrived just before 9:00am, so we were the first people into the fort. It took about 15-20 minutes before larger tour groups started to arrive. It was definitely neat being inside the fort when it was empty.

We immediately went to the tallest floor inside the fort so we could enjoy the view of the Mediterranean. Afterwards, we explored the other floors in the fort, and spent some time walking around on the outside of the fort. The view from the top is quite nice!

Cost and Hours

View of the Mediterranean from the top of the fort

Foreign tourists pay 20 LE per person to enter the fort, although foreign students can enter for only 10 LE each. Cameras and video cameras are permitted. The fort is open from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

Estimated Visiting Time

Inside the fort

An average visitor would probably find 60-90 minutes sufficient time to look around and explore all the areas in the fort.