Qaitbay

Fort Kite Bay is a magnificent fortification of the end of the 15th century, standing on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria on the site of the famous wonder of the world – the Pharos Lighthouse. The snow-white fortress erected in the eastern bay is clearly visible from afar in any weather, attracting with its solemnity and monumentality.

The history of Fort Kite Bay

The fortress began to be built in 1477 by order of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Seif al-Din Kaitbey az Zahiri in order to protect the Nile Delta and the city itself from Turkish attacks from the sea. Historical fact - during the construction of the fortress, the ruins of the Faros Lighthouse destroyed by earthquakes were used.

Fort Kite Bay has been captured and destroyed many times:

From 1517 to 1798, the fortress was in the hands of the Ottoman Turks and was used by them for its intended purpose.
Napoleon Bonaparte's troops captured Egypt in 1798 and did not use the citadel as a military installation.
At the beginning of the 19th century, with the coming to power of Sultan Muhammad Ali Pasha, the fortress was put in order and provided with the latest weapons.
In 1882, the British navy attacked Fort Kite Bay, causing significant damage.
The fortress remained in a dilapidated state until 1904, when King Farouk ordered it to be restored for personal use.
Only in 1952, after the victory of the revolution, the Egyptian authorities handed over the fort to the Maritime Museum, and in 1984 large-scale repair and restoration work was carried out in the Kite Bay fortress.

Exterior view of the Kite Bay Fortress

Looking at Fort Kite Bay, you can see a harmonious combination of Western and Eastern styles in the architecture. The structure is a citadel of three floors, surrounded by two rows of fortress walls, which are interconnected by passages. Rounded towers with narrow loopholes are located around the perimeter of the walls and at the corners of the citadel. The window openings are either open or equipped with grilles. The courtyard is decorated with lawns with palm trees and antique cannons on pedestals.

The Kite Bay Fortress inside

The interior holds many secrets and mysteries: well-preserved soldiers' barracks, underground tunnels, mines, and casemates awaken the imagination and take you back to ancient times. Fragments of ancient mosaics have been preserved in many places, which decorated the floor and ceiling. Walking along the long and narrow cool corridors takes away from the heat and allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of antiquity.

Fort Kite Bay is rightfully considered a historical landmark of Egypt, steeped in the glory of past battles.