Check out these super quick facts about the Citadel and the Muhammad Ali Pasha mosque, the picturesque location where the 2009 Imagine Cup opened on Friday night.
1. What better place to start a “cutthroat” competition than at a fortress in Cairo that has never been defeated.
2. The Citadel was known primarily for being a military base of operations. First called the "Dome of the Wind,” it was a pavilion created in 810 A.D. by Hatim Ibn Hartama, who was governor of then Egypt. Indeed this area was well known for its cool breezes – which we all experienced and enjoyed Friday night at the opening ceremony.
3. These early governors did not realize the strategic importance of the site and simply enjoyed the area and it’s view of Cairo.
4. Legend is that they chose the site for the healthy air. The story is that they hung pieces of meat all over Cairo – and chose the site of the Citadel area because the meat remained fresh for several days – and it had rotted in all other areas around the city.
5. Between 1176 and 1183, an Abbasid Ruler fortified the area to protect it from attacks by the Crusaders. Since then it has been a military base in Cairo. The great rounded towers that can still be seen were built protruding from the thick walls so defenders could attack anyone who tried to scale the walls.
6. Much of what you saw last night was built by the Ottomans who controlled Egypt between 1500 to the early 20th century. One great site I found on a self guided walking tour was this side wall of the stables of the lower enclosure with the protruding horses heads. 
7. The Ottoman Muhammad Ali Pasha, one of the great builders in modern Egypt, came to power in 1805. He rebuilt much of the decaying structure and replaced walls. His great mosque was built in the style of the religious mosques of Istanbul in a style called Ottoman Baroque.
8. The mosque is often known as the Alabaster Mosque due to its use of that stone for exterior walls and surfaces. The mosque complex consists of two parts – the mosque proper and the open courtyard next to it.
9. The beauty and grandeur of the large chamber is enhanced by the circles of small lamps creating a spectacle of light. The original oil lamps (which had to be lit every day) have been exchanged for modern electric bulbs.
10. In the courtyard you may have noticed that the marble fountain in the center was being refurbished. This fountain built in 1828 is original for its lavishly decorated carved wood roof and ornate columns.
11. Last fact - the clock and tower which you may or may not have noticed outside of the mosque has never worked and it never will. It was given to Egypt in exchange for the obelisk now at the Place de la Concorde in downtown Paris.
How fitting that we begin the Worldwide Finals here – after the events in France. The Citadel was indeed a gift to all of us last evening. Cool breeze, sunset and the start of an unforgettable week in Cairo.
- Toddy Dyer
Facts updated & reviewed using www.egypt.net
