List of Egyptian castles, forts, fortifications and city walls explained

Many buildings in Egypt can be put under the classification of castles, citadels, forts, and fortifications.

List by age

Pharaonic

Lower Egypt

• Fortification of Memphis^[1]
• Fort of Walls of the Prince (inebw heka), Eastern Delta.
• Fortress of Wadi Natrun, western Delta.
• Rhakotis fort, Alexandria^[2]
• Tahpanhes fort or Castle of the Jew's Daughter
• Heliopolis Fortifications.

Middle Egypt

• Pi-Sekhemkheperre, near Herakleopolis Magna

Upper Egypt

• Kom el-Ahmar (Hierakonpolis) fortifications
• Fortress of Abydos
• Medinet Habu New Kingdom fortification
• El-Kab fortifications
• Thebes fortifications.^[3]

Sinai

• The Way of Horus coastal forts, Sinai
• Tharu castle, Sinai
• Qantara East fort, Sinai^[4]
• Kolsum castle, Suez^[5]
• Boto Fort of Seti I, (Qatia area), Sinai.^[6]
• Tell-Huba Fortress, Sinai^[7]
• Pelusium Fort,^[8]
• Tharu city fortifications.^{[9] [10]}

Western Desert

• Siwa Oasis fortification, Western desert of Egypt^[11]

• Qasr Allam fort

Nubia

• The ancient castle at Buhen^{[12] [13]}
• Fort of Kubban, Nubia
• Semna fortification^[14]
• Kumma fort
• Aniba Fort
• Uronarti fort
• Mirgissa fort
• Shalfak fort
• Askut fort
• Senusret I-III seventeen south fortresses.
• Dabenarti fort
• Faras Fort
• Serra Fort.

Persian

• Persian fort of Rhakortis, North coast

Greco-Roman

Cairo

• Fort Babylon, Cairo^[15]

Delta

• Naucratis Greek fort

Kharga Oasis

• Ain Umm Dabadib fort, Kharga Oasis.^{[16] [17]}
• El Deir fort, Kharga Oasis.
• Qasr el Labeka fort, Kharga Oasis.
• Qasr Sumaria fort, Kharga Oasis.
• Qasr el Geb fort, Kharga Oasis.
• Al-Haiz fort, Bahariya Oasis.
• Nadura fort, Kharga Oasis
• Qasr el-Ghueita fort, Kharga Oasis
• Qasr el-Zayyan fort, Kharga Oasis

Red Sea

• Castellum of Badia, Gebel Abu Dukhan, near Hurghada, Red Sea^{[18] [19] [20]}
• Abu Sha'ar Fort, Red Sea.

Fayoum

• Temple of Stones fort, Fayoum.^[21]
• Der el Memun, fort where Anthony the Great lived, across from Faiyum.

Lower Egypt

• Al-Heita fort, Eastern desert, Qena.^[22]

Sinai

• Saint Catherine's Monastery fortification, Mount Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula (by Justinian I 548–565)^[23]

North coast

• Alexandria fortifications ^[24]

Islamic

• Cairo Citadel, Mukkattam, Cairo
• Ayyubid Cairo City Fortification
• Gates of Cairo
• Al Fustat city walls^[25]

Alexandria

• Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexandria
• Fortification of Bab Rosetta, Alexandria^[26]
• Qaitbey Citadel, Rosetta (known as Fort Julien)

Red Sea and Eastern desert

• Quseir Castle ^[27]

Sinai

• Salah El-Din castle, Pharaoh's Island, Sinai ^[28]
• Nweiba' Castle
• Qalaat Al-Gindi, Ras Sedr, Sinai^{[29] [30]}
• Al-Arish citadel ^[31]
• Nakhl citadel^[32]
• Farma citadel
• El Tina castle, North Sinai^[33]

Western desert

• Siwa oasis fort^{[34] [35] [36] [37]}
• Shali fortified village, Siwa Oasis.^[38]

Modern Egypt

Alexandria and North coast

• Fort Julien, Rosetta Fort.
• Agami Fort, Alexandria (by French occupation) ^[39]
• Abu Qir Castle (was used by Mohammed Ali as a prison)

Western Desert

• Mersa Matruh Fortifications (1941 AD)^{[40] [41]}
• Sidi Barrani Fortifications (1941 AD) ^{[42] [43] [44] [45]}
• Alam el Halfa Fortifications (1941 AD)^{[46] [47] [48]}
• Sollum fortified base camp (1941 AD) ^[49]
• Halfaya Pass Fortification (1941 AD)^{[50] [51] [52]}
• Bir-Hakeim fort (1942 AD) ^[53]

Sinai

• Al-Arish castle
• Sharm El-Sheikh fortification by Egypt (1954 AD) ^{[54] [55]}
• Castle Zaman, Sinai ^[56]

Suez Canal

• Adgerud castle, Suez.
• Kolsum castle, Suez.
• Bar Lev Line
  • Fort Lahtzanit
  • Fort Budapest

Red Sea and Eastern Desert

• Green Island (Egypt) Fortification, Red Sea (1969 AD)
• Shadwan island fortifications, Red Sea (1960s AD)

List by areas and time

Western Desert

• Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, a Ramesside fort near the Libyan coast where trade goods were found. For example, cakes of Egyptian blue pigment, brought there for export, were found,^[57] along with indications of exotic imports such as olive oil and wine.^[58]

Alexandria

• Citadel of Qaitbay
• Fort Pharos
• Fort Silsileh
• Fort Adda
• Fort Ras-el-Tin
• Fort Marabout
• Fort Adjemi
• Marza-el-Kana
• Citadel of Mex
• Fort Kamaria
• Fort Om Qabeba
• Fort Saleh Aga

• Fort Julien

• Ezzbet El-Borg Defensive tower.
• Urabi Fort.
• Old Damietta city wall and Fortifications.

Sinai castles, forts, fortifications and citadels

• 13th century BC The Way of Horus coastal and Sinai forts.
• 13th century BC Tharu castle.
• 13th century BC Boto Fort (by Seti I), (Qatia area), Sinai.
• 13th century BC Tel Habwa Fort (by Seti I), (Qantara area), Sinai
• 13th century BC Tel Kadwa Fort, Sinai^[59]
• 13th century BC Tel Al Hebr Fort, Sinai
• 13th century BC Kharouba Fort, Sinai
• 13th century BC Baer Al-Abd Fort, Sinai
• Unknown time Pharonic El Tina castle, Beer Al Abd, North Sinai
• Circa 100 BC Ptolemaic Fort of Tal Abou Sayfi, South of Qantara Sharq city.
• 200 AD Roman Fort of Tal Abou Sayfi, South of Qantara Sharq city (by Emperor Maximinus Thrax).
• Unknown time Roman Lahfen castle near Al-Arish.
• Saint Catherine's Monastery fortification, Mount Sinai, Sinai Peninsula.
• 640 AD Farma (Pelusium) citadel.
• 7th century AD Justinian's Strasini Fort, Tel Felosiyia, near Pelusium.
• 7th century AD Garha Roman fort, on Bardawil lake, North Sinai.
• Unknown time Byzantine fort, qaseema, Hosna, Middle Sinai.
• Unknown time Al-Mohammadyia Arabic Fort, Beer Al Abd, North Sinai.
• 1115 AD Al-Soubak Fort (by Baldwin), Wadi Araba.
• 1116 AD Aiyla fort (by Baldwin), Aiyla city, Aqaba bay.
• 1116 AD Pharaoh Island Fort (by Baldwin), Aqaba bay.
• 1117 AD Wadi Musa fort (by Baldwin).
• 1181 AD Aiyla Island Castle (by Ayyobids).
• 1182 AD Salah El-Din castle Sedr, Sinai.
• 1184 AD Qalaat Al-Gindi (by Saladin), Ras Sedr, Sinai.
• 1184 AD Salah El-Din castle, Taba (Pharaoh Island), Sinai.
• 1516 AD Al-Arish citadel (by Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri).
• 1516 AD Al-Baghla fort (by Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri).
• 1516 AD Naqab Al-Aqaba Fort(by Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri).
• 1516 AD An-Nakhl Fortress (by Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri).
• 1799 AD Qatiyah Fort, West of sinai (by General Lograng of Napoleon Army).
• 1799 Siege of El Arish Castle
• 1893 Nuweiba Castle.
• 1910s Turkish Fortifications at Hosna, middle Sinai.
• 1910s Turkish Fortifications at Al-Arish Castle, North Sinai.
• 1910s Turkish Fortifications at Nekhel, Sinai.
• 1910s Turkish Fortifications at Salah El Din Castle, South Sinai.
• 1960s and 1970s Egyptian Defensive fortifications built by Egyptian Armed forces during the Attrition war on the Western bank of Suez Canal and Bar Lev Line of fortifications on Eastern side of Suez Canal (by Israel occupation forces).
• 1990s Touristic Castle Zaman, Sinai
• Unknown time Ain al Qudairat Fort, Hosna, North Sinai.

See also

• Qasr (disambiguation)
• List of buildings
• List of fortifications
• List of castles
• List of forts
• List of walls
• List of cities with defensive walls
• List of established military terms (Engineering)

External links

• Fortifications, Police Beats, and Military Checkpoints in Ancient Egypt

Notes and References

1. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/fortresses.htm Ancient Egypt military architecture
2. http://www.arabworldbooks.com/new/alexander.html Alexander the Great
3. http://www.varchive.org/tac/saktheb.htm Tandamane works
4. Web site: Qantara East history . 2008-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080519224217/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/839/eg5.htm . 2008-05-19 . dead .
5. Niebuhr travels
6. Said Aly Sinai, the Meaning and Importance
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20070922012446/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070727-egypt-fort.html Large old Sinai fortress
8. http://www.bibleexplained.com/moses/Exod/Exo.htm Ramsis II Pelusium Fort
9. http://www.livescience.com/history/080528-ap-ancient-egyptian-city.html Tharu fortifications
10. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape2/PQDD_0028/MQ50441.pdf Tharu castle thesis
11. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198805/siwa-oasis.extraordinary.htm Siwa Oasis
12. https://web.archive.org/web/19991103164300/http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/7037/nubia/nubian.htm Buhen castle
13. http://www.archaeology.org/online/reviews/engineering/index.html Ancient Egypt architecture
14. http://www.yare.org/essays/fortresses.htm Egyptian Fortresses in Nubia
15. http://www.ownheliopolis.com/own/history3.html Babylon fort history & photos
16. Web site: Roman forts in Kharga Oasis . 2008-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080404194125/http://ww3.telerama.com/~cass/RomanForts.html . 2008-04-04 . dead .
17. http://www.egyptvoyager.com/oases_kharga.htm Kharga Oasis
18. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199806/via.porphyrites.htm Porphyrite
19. http://www.euratlas.com/mons_porphyrites/fg_base_camp.html Castellum of Badia
20. http://www.euratlas.com/mons_porphyrites/i_badia_walls.html Red Sea Roman fort wall
21. Web site: Fayoum Roman fort . 2008-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080723090251/http://interoz.com/egypt/dionysia.htm . 2008-07-23 . dead .
22. [Qena]
23. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/06/nfe/ht06nfe.htm Egypt history
24. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1822/ Alexandria histories
25. Web site: Al Fustat city walls . 2008-07-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110525060315/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=8024 . 2011-05-25 . dead .
26. http://www.2travel2egypt.com/Destinations/2004-8/touristinfoalex.asp Alexandria history
27. http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=7775762&extid=df_shop&srccode=cii_28503622&cpncode=17-14094503-2 Quseir Fort
28. http://www.sis.gov.eg/VR/sinia/html/sinai05.htm Sinai castles
29. http://home.hetnet.nl/~lilian_jan_schreurs/news/Qalaat.htm Photo of Qalaat Al-Gindi
30. http://home.hetnet.nl/~lilian_jan_schreurs/news/saladin.htm Photos
31. Web site: North Sinai forts . 2008-07-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081118171827/http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Tourism/famouscities/Arish/060607000000000001.htm . 2008-11-18 . dead .
32. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1829/ Description of Nakhl Fortress
33. http://nuweiba.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/mamluk-castle-discovered-in-northern-sinai/ El Tina castle
34. http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=86913403&apnum=1490795&DestType=7&Referrer%20=http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu7pMWnhI11EAjD1XNyoA?p=Egypt%2BFort&fr=yfp-t-501&ei=UTF-8&GCID=C15100x011&KEYWORD=1490795&SEM=item%3D1490795%26AID%3D86913403%26GCID%3DC15100x011%26Keyword%3D1490795 Siwa fot photo
35. http://www.siwaoasis.co.uk/ Siwa Villa & Fort photo
36. http://www.climates.com/AFRICA/PDF/SIWA_M.pdf Rain damage of Siwa fort
37. Web site: Siwa old photos . 2008-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080708191726/http://mcwarr.orconhosting.net.nz/genealogy/leslie/siwa.html . 2008-07-08 . dead .
38. http://home.hetnet.nl/~lilian_jan_schreurs/news/Siwa1.htm Siwa Oasis
39. Web site: Alex history . 2008-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070403015827/http://www.southtravels.com/africa/egypt/alexandriatravel.html . 2007-04-03 . dead .
40. http://www.awm.gov.au/units/place_1349.asp Marsa Matrouh
41. http://www.ourstory.info/4/d/4d3index.html Matruh Fortified position
42. [Italian invasion of Egypt]
43. http://www.third-reich-books.com/afrikakorps.htm Africa Korps
44. http://www.avalanchepress.com/2ndNewZealand2.php Sidi Barani fortified camps
45. http://www.1jma.dk/articles/1jmaarticlesww2compass.htm 1.JmA - Compass
46. http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=PRnafrica2 North Africa battle
47. http://www.comw.org/pda/webbtl.htm Fortified Alam el Halfa
48. http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/el_alamein.htm Fortified Alam el Halfa
49. http://www.ghqmodels.com/newsletters/novdec2003.pdf Sollum Fortified camp
50. [Operation Crusader]
51. http://www.lonesentry.com/battleoftheomars/section1.html Battle of the Omars
52. http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-north-africa-campaign.htm/3 North Africa campagain
53. Web site: le général Rommel . 2008-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060323061438/http://www.birhakeim-association.org/Textes/Rommel.htm . 2006-03-23 . dead .
54. http://www.answers.com/topic/sharm-al-shaykh sharm-al-shaykh
55. Fry, Michael, and Hochstein, Miles. "The Forgotten Middle East Crisis of 1957: Gaza and Sharm el Sheikh." International History Review 15 (1993): 46 - 83 "The Forgotten Middle East Crisis of 1957: Gaza and Sharm el Sheikh."
56. http://www.castlezaman.com/articles.htm Castle Zaman
57. Book: Rehren, Th., Pusch, E.B. & Herold, A.. 2001. Problems and possibilities in workshop reconstruction: Qantir and the organization of LBA glass working sites. A.J. Shortland. The social context of technological change, Egypt and the Near East 1650–1550 BC. Proceedings of a conference held at St Edmund Hall, Oxford 12–14 September 2000. Oxford. Oxbow Books. 978-1-84217-050-2.
58. Web site: The Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham Project - Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology - University of Liverpool . www.liverpool.ac.uk.
59. Web site: مصر تكتشف بقايا قلعة عسكرية فرعونية في سيناء. 5 June 2008.