The fort of El Quseir lies on high ground in what is now the centre of town.  Coming from Marsa Alam jump out of your taxi near the  petrol station and then it's a five minute walk up the hill.  Coming the other way from Safaga you can't miss it as you follow the one way main road in to town. 

Your attention is immediately arrested by the muzzels of two potruding cannon.  Brought by the French to protect the town and harbour, they now overlook visitors as they shop in the bazaars beneath.    Only one of them is actually of French manufacture, the other is probably of Dutch origin. 

The castle was originally built by Sultan Selim I in 1571 to protect what was Egypt's most important port on the Red Sea.   Hajj pilgrims used the port to embark for Mecca, and it was also a vital entrepot for Egypt's trade with Arabia and Asia. 

At about the same time the town centre of El Quseir also moved from its' original site which was near the modern Movenpick hotel to its' current location around the fort and harbour.

In 1799 the French who had sent a military expedition to Egypt under the command of General Napoleon,  seized the fort, built a tall viewing platform ( now rebuilt),  widened the ramparts and added a number of cannon, some of which can still be seen.  They also left a garrison of some one hundred soldiers.

In August of the same year the fort's enhanced defences withstood a three day assault by two British 32 gun frigates, HMS Daedalus and HMS Fox.  However, before retreating, these two battleships caused major breaches to the walls, especially in the area close to the main entrance.

The British twice attempted landings in order to destroy the drinking wells of the city but were forced to withdraw in the face of heavy cannon and musket fire and lost one cannon in the surf which may subsequently have been added to the fort's own battery of guns.    

In June 1801  the fort was finally abandoned by the French army when  an army of some 6000 British and Indian soldiers, under General Baird, landed at El Quseir.  This force then crossed the Eastern Desert in a ten day march at the height of summer to capture Qena on the Nile.  A feat which helped to hasten the final surrender of French forces in September.

During the following years the fort was used as a base for Muhammad Ali Pasha's wars against Arabia but after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it's strategic significance was considerably diminished.  However, it remained in use as a base for the Egyptian coast guard until 1975. 

Today, at the main gate you can buy a 10LE ticket* which gains you access to the entire fort which includes several small exhibits of the area's history, shipbuilding, phosphate mining and  Bedouin life and traditions.


*Price correct as of September 2008.