Alexandria - Qaytbey Fort
The keep of Qaytbey Fort is built on the site of the old Pharos lighthouse, which was also one of the Seven Wonders of the World along with the Pyramids. The old lighthouse, built by the Greek Sostratus and completed in 279 BC, was four or five times taller than this fort. It stood for about 1,000 years, suffering damage from repeated invasions and earthquakes.
It stopped being a lighthouse in AD 642, but enough of it remained until the 14th century to impress travelers. The Mameluke Sultan Qaytbey built the present fort in 1480 AD from the remains of the lighthouse. This was at a time when Egypt came under the power of the Islamic Empire of the Near East. The fort houses the oldest mosque in Alexandria.
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Montazah
palace | Montazah
gardens | Anakin
Skywalker | Harbour
| Qaytbey
fort | Cannon |
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