Salah al-Din Square

📍 Location: Below the western wall of Cairo Citadel · 🏺 Period: Mamluk (14th c.) onwards · 🎟️ Tickets: square is free; mosques charge

Salah al-Din Square, often called Citadel Square (Midan al-Qalʿa), is the dramatic open space below the western ramparts of Cairo's Citadel. It is bracketed by two of the most monumental buildings in the city: the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan (1356–1363) — a towering Mamluk masterpiece whose 38 m portal and four-iwan plan still astonish — and the Mosque of al-Rifa'i, its 19th-century neighbour built as a deliberate mirror, holding the tombs of King Farouk, the last Shah of Iran, and several other royals.

The square itself has hosted state parades since the days when sultans descended from the Citadel along al-Saliba Street. Today it is the launching pad for any walking tour of Islamic Cairo — and the best place to admire the full sweep of the Citadel's walls and the alabaster dome of Muhammad Ali's mosque high above.

Highlights

Mosque of Sultan Hassan — arguably the supreme Mamluk monument
Mosque of al-Rifa'i — royal mausoleum mosque
Direct access up to Cairo Citadel
Best photo angle of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali at golden hour

Visiting

Opening hours: mosques 9 am – 5 pm; closed to non-Muslims at prayer times
Tickets: combined Sultan Hassan + al-Rifa'i typically ~180 EGP for foreigners
Dress: modest; women may need a head-cover loaned at the door
Nearby: Cairo Citadel, al-Saliba Street, National Police Museum

Stand inside Sultan Hassan's central court at midday — the four soaring iwans and the silence make it one of the most spiritual spaces in Cairo.