The Saladin Citadel of Cairo is a medieval Islamic fortification in Cairo Egypt location on Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo was once famous for its fresh breeze and grand views of the city It is now a preserved historic site with mosques and museums In 1976 it was proclaimed by UNESCO as a part of the World Heritage Site Historic Cairo (Islamic Cairo) which was "the new centre of the Islamic world reaching its golden age in the 14th century