The Art And Architecture of Islamic Cairo

gone so far as to offer his sister’s hand in marriage to al-Adil, in
order to secure an alliance between the two sides. King Richard’s
proposal was not taken seriously, but it was some measure of his
recognition of al-Adil’s political status. With the death of Salah
al-Din, most of al-Adil’s diplomatic skills were directed towards
the more difficult job of keeping the squabbling Ayyubid family
together and consolidating its power. When he took office in Cairo
he delegated administrative and political responsibilities to his sons,
making al-Kamil his deputy in Cairo. It was al-Kamil who took
direct responsibility for completing the Citadel, and when he
became sultan he was the first to take up residence there.
Al-Kamil strengthened and enlarged some of the existing
towers, and also added a number of square towers which served as
self-contained keeps. Two of Salah al-Din’s towers (1183–1202)
guarding the eastern extremity of the Citadel, the Burg al-Haddad
(the Blacksmith’s Tower) and Burg al-Ramla (the Sand Tower), were
enlarged by totally encasing them in new semi-circular units. In the
Burg al-Haddad, Salah al-Din’s original structure, with its cruciform
interior, occupies the nucleus of the later tower. Connecting this
with al-Kamil’s outer extension are the original arrowslits, now
Burg al-Haddad
(Blacksmith's Tower)
above: Plan of Burg al-Haddad and Burg ar-Ramla.
Burg al-Ramla
(Sand Tower)
Ayyubid Architecture 109