Salah El Din Citadel, one of Cairo's most prominent landmarks, opened a new wing featuring two semi-circular towers to the public today, Sunday, in an effort to expand the country's tourist attractions. The citadel is one of the largest medieval castles in the world, dating back to around 1176 AD when its construction began during the reign of military leader Salah El Din Al Ayyubi. This historic fortress served as the center of rule in Egypt for over 700 years. Until recently, the wing was used as a private space for events and for military and police barracks. This section includes the Ramla and Haddad towers, which were built in the decades following the death of Salah El Din during the reign of his successor Sultan Al Adil Al Ayyubi.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Issa stated, "This is the first effort we are making to re-launch Cairo as a new cultural product. We will name it Cairo City Break; details will be revealed in the coming months, with the first official announcement taking place at the tourism exhibition in Berlin in March." He added to reporters, "Currently, Salah El Din Citadel does not receive the number of visitors it deserves; tour companies often tell me that visitors spend no more than an hour here. Our plan is to increase the duration of visits to the citadel from one hour to at least three hours in the coming months, God willing."
