Who was Salah al-Din (Saladin)?
Salah al-Din ended Fatimid rule in Egypt and founded the Ayyubid state, then set about reorganising the capital's layout and defences. In 572 AH he began building the Citadel on a spur of the Muqattam hills, as a fortified centre for government and the army.
At the same time he ordered the walls to be extended, with the aim of enclosing Fustat, al-Askar, al-Qata'i and Cairo within a single defensive system. His reign also saw the first building over the tomb of Imam al-Shafi'i in the Qarafa cemetery.
How did they shape Cairo?
The Citadel project shifted Cairo's balance. From the Ayyubid period until the 19th century the Citadel area remained a main seat of power, and the Mamluks, the Ottomans and the dynasty of Muhammad Ali all added new buildings to it. Salah al-Din thus created a platform that went on producing political architecture for centuries.
The wall project was an unprecedented attempt to gather the city's scattered historic centres into a single defended city.
Monuments linked to Salah al-Din (Saladin)
Where to see their legacy today
Start at the Citadel of Salah al-Din, look out over the line of the walls and Salah al-Din Square below, then head towards Imam al-Shafi'i to understand the reach that Ayyubid power created beyond the heart of Fatimid Cairo.