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Primary sourcePhotograph1904

Postcard of Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque

1904

An early 1900s postcard showing the Citadel of Cairo, a fortress complex founded by Saladin, with the later Mosque of Muhammad Ali rising above it.

Shows the Citadel of Cairo, the fortress complex that originated under Saladin.

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Sepia postcard of the Cairo Citadel with the Muhammad Ali Mosque, its tall minarets and central dome rising above a walled fortress. Pyramids are faint on the distant horizon over a city. Handwritten cursive message fills the lower part, with 'LE CAIRE' and 'La Citadelle' printed captions.
Postcard of the Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque, 1904. Rare Books and Special Collections Library, The American University in Cairo.

About this source

What it is

A sepia postcard from 1904, printed with the captions 'LE CAIRE' and 'La Citadelle', showing the Cairo Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. It is held by the Rare Books and Special Collections Library at The American University in Cairo.

Why it matters

The Citadel was originally built as a fortress under Saladin to protect Cairo. By the time this postcard was made, the site had become a landmark associated with later rulers as well, shown here with the pyramids faintly visible on the horizon, linking different eras of Egyptian history in one image.

Look closer

  • Why might this image have been turned into a postcard for travelers?
  • What does the handwritten message on the postcard suggest about who sent it and why?
  • How does combining the Citadel, the mosque, and the distant pyramids in one picture shape the way viewers see Egypt's history?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saladin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Bronze dirham coin, obverse, showing a seated figure facing forward, cross-legged, with a rounded face and hands resting on knees, flanked by a high-backed throne. Arabic inscriptions in circular margin around the edge.Artifact

Primary source

Dirham of Saladin

AH 586 (AD 1190-91)

Engraving of a mounted figure in a tunic on a pale horse, with a banner-carrying rider behind him and a scroll above reading a proclamation. Soldiers with spears and a tent camp appear on the left, and a walled town on a hill behind. Caption below in print reads that Saladin caused it to be proclaimed that he carried nothing with him to the grave but a shirt.Painting

Secondary source

Saladin Proclaims He Will Take Only a Shirt to His Grave

John Payne · 1639

Exterior of the Saladin Citadel in Cairo at golden hour: thick tan stone walls with round towers and crenellated battlements, with the domed mosque and two slender minarets rising behind on the hilltop. A modern city street with trees and lamp posts lies to the right.Artifact

Primary source

Cairo Citadel

Saladin · begun 1176

Sepia photograph of the Tomb of Saladin in Damascus. A large stone arch spans the left, behind a domed structure with arched windows and a striped-arch window. Ruined walls, a rubble courtyard, and a few people near a ladder stand in front. The caption reads 791 Tombeau de Saladin Damas, with the name Bonfils.Photograph

Secondary source

Tomb of Saladin, Damascus

Medieval manuscript illumination of mounted knights in combat on a grassy field with red-dotted ground. Riders with lances and shields charge; one rider labeled Saladin and another labeled Guy. Red and black Latin text fills the page above.Painting

Secondary source

Saladin Seizing the True Cross from Guy of Lusignan

Matthew Paris

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