Citadel of Damascus

Massive medieval fortress at the northwest corner of the Old City

The great fortress that anchors the northwestern corner of Damascus's Old City. The current walls date mostly from the early 13th century, when the Ayyubid Sultan al-Adil rebuilt the older Seljuk citadel on a vast scale. Twelve square towers ring a rectangular interior the size of two football pitches.

Inside, the citadel has been partly excavated and restored. Remains of the great hall, the prayer hall and the various towers can be visited, with explanatory boards in Arabic and English. The bronze Statue of Saladin on horseback stands in the small square just outside the main gate, a popular meeting point for Damascenes.

The citadel forms the obvious starting point for an Old City walk — exit through the Bab al-Faraj gate into the Hamidiyah Souq.

things to do sight
A story
The Citadel was the headquarters of Saladin, who launched many of his campaigns against the Crusaders from inside its walls. He was buried in the smaller mausoleum just outside the eastern gate after his death in 1193, by his own request — close enough to the Umayyad Mosque to hear the call to prayer.

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