“Babylon Fortress” was an ancient citadel in the Nile Delta, located in the area known today as Coptic Cairo.
The ”Babylon Citadel” is the oldest part in old Cairo. It was built by the Romans, the fort was in a strategic position to dominate Egypt along the Nile.
The first fort was built by the “Persians” in the 6th century BC, but at that time it was on the cliffs near the river.
“Babylon Fortress”
When the Romans took possession of Egypt, they used the old fort and recognizing it’s strategic importance on the Nile, because of the problems of water delivery, the Roman Emperor “Trajan” relocated the fort to it’s present location.
It is considered to be one of the best preserved military structures of Roman times.
Most of the walls were built of three regular layers of red bricks alternating with five stone layers, bound together with a mortar of sand, lime, pebbles and charcoal.
The walls were constructed on an irregular five sided layout with numerous semi-circular bastions.
The fortress’s includes Coptic Museum, a convent, and several churches, such as: the Church of St. George and Hanging Church.
After the archaic city of “Fustat” was founded outside the fortress by the Arabs, it continued to be called “Babylon” for the next century, in papyrus documents the names of Fustat and Babylon were used interchangeably.
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