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<< Our Photo Pages >> Qalat Al-Guindi - Hillfort in Egypt in Sinai

Submitted by ilsignorstano on Thursday, 08 September 2011  Page Views: 7261

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Qalat Al-Guindi Alternative Name: Qalat El-Gindi
Country: Egypt Region: Sinai Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Ras Sudr
Latitude: 29.851000N  Longitude: 33.130000E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Mosque II (Vote or comment on this photo)
Fortress built in 1187 by Saladin in Southern Sinai. The main purpose was to guard the routes of pilgrimage from Northern Africa to Mecca. It was also used as a caravanserai.

It's built in limestone on a 285 m high escarpment and it rises on a plateau at 645 m above sea level. The water supply came from the Ayn Sadr source, through run-off waters or from cisterns dug in the ground (three underground cisterns are still in perfect state of conservation, one of them with size of 6m x 10m x 5,5 is dated by an inscription from the time of Saladin).

A 5 to 6 m ditch separates it from the ravine whose shape it takes, that of an irregular rectangle. Extending from north-east to south-west over a lengh of between 100 and 150 m with a maximum width of 120 m, it is surrounded by a 2 m thick wall reinforced at regular intervals with square and round towers. It is opened by a monumental square door crowned with a limestone archstone whose keystone bears an inscription in the name of Allah.

There is another inscription in nashki which says:- the name of the founder: Salah ad-din Ab'l Mudhafar Yussuf Ibn Ayub Ibn Khalil, emir of the believers (Saladin)- the name of the builder: Ibrahim Ibn Abi Bahr and his son- date of building: Jumada II 538/1187-nature of the works: two towers, the door and the mosque.

A courtyard is surrounded by several halls to accommodate the guardians and other halls for service purposes. On the western side (20,5 m x 11,30 m) is a meeting room covered with vaults borne by pointed arches. There are two further prayer rooms, one in ruins and the other one relatively well preserved (12 m x 6 m) with a beautiful Mirhab niche enhanced with decorations, namely an epigraphy.

The work is thought to have started with the mosque and its cistern in Rajab 581/1185 and to have been completed with the door and the two towers in Jumada II 583/1187.

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Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - View from the top (Vote or comment on this photo)

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Hall - Mirhab (Vote or comment on this photo)

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Mosque - window from outside (Vote or comment on this photo)

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Mosque - Mirhab (Vote or comment on this photo)

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Mosque - Inner part (Vote or comment on this photo)

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Mosque

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Detail of the entrance

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Close up of some tombs (supposed to be)

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Hall - Inscription on one side of the Mirhab

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Inscription

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - Mosque - Close up of the Mirhab

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - view of the underground spaces

Qalat Al-Guindi
Qalat Al-Guindi submitted by ilsignorstano : Qalat Al-Guindi - View of the top

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"Qalat Al-Guindi" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Qalat Al-Guindi by Andy B on Thursday, 09 February 2012
(User Info | Send a Message)
You'd have to message ilsignorstano and ask. But all means copy the first paragraph or so and end to a link to this page
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Re: Qalat Al-Guindi by Anonymous on Thursday, 09 February 2012
Hi

I love this article and am wondering if I could add it to my blog on Sinai with your permission.

Could I copy and paste it and link to your site here?

My blog is http://sinaishieldofegypt.blogspot.com/
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
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