Cabinet denies any plans to sell archaeological Saladin citadel site

CAIRO - 27 December 2019: The cabinet’s media center denied reports circulated in some websites and social media networks claiming that the government plans to sell the archaeological Salah El-Din (Saladin) Citadel site to Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund.

In a statement, the center said that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has dismissed the reports as “baseless.”

The ministry pointed out that it is in contacts with the fund for implementing a project aimed at developing, and revitalizing the Bab Al-Azab area, located in the area surrounding the citadel.

The project targets renovating the archaeological site, and enhancing the tourist services in the area to be worthy of its great status as a historical, cultural, and tourist landmark.

The effort comes as part of the country’s interest in preserving and protecting its historical heritage, the statement added.

The Bab Al-Azab project will make use of the buildings already there, transforming them into a museum with interactive displays and exhibits, as well as a traditional market showcasing the country’s rich heritage, its added.

The Citadel of Cairo or Citadel of Saladin is a medieval Islamic-era fortification in Cairo, Egypt, built by Salah ad-Din and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers. It was the seat of government in Egypt and the residence of its rulers for nearly 700 years from the 13th to the 19th centuries.