In Photos: A part of the Babylon fort in Old Cairo opened to public after restoration

Nevine El-Aref , Sunday 20 Mar 2022

After decades of being closed to visitors, a part of the Babylon fort located within the façade of the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo was inaugurated on Sunday.

This section of the fort was subjected to restoration, and it is the first phase of a comprehensive restoration project for the fort with the goal of opening the entirety of it to the public.

Hisham Samir — the assistant to the tourism minister for projects — explains that the facades of the newly inaugurated part of the fort were cleaned from dust and bird droppings, and damaged blocks were restored. A new lighting system was also installed to highlight the beauty of its architecture and original job for which it was constructed. Broken windows inside the fort were repaired as well.

The second phase of the fort restoration project started immediately after the completion of the first one and aims to restore the southern part of the fort found beneath the Hanging Church, known as Amr Gate.

The whole fort will be open for visits after the completion of the project.