The Quseir Fortress, Marsa Alam is one of the main Tourist Attractions in Marsa Alam. The town of Marsa Alam is located by the Red Sea and is 790 kilometers south of Cairo. It is located between the road to Edfu and the road along the Red Sea coast. The town depended on phosphate mining and is also a fishing village. The Quseir Fortress, Marsa is located in the town center of Quseir.
The Quseir Fortress, Marsa Alam was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century. It was built during the rule of Sultan Selim to protect the trade routes with India. In 1799 Napoleon’s troops occupied the fortress. The French fortified the fortress with cannons high up on the walls and also built a new viewing platform. The fortress was also used by the French to cut off supplies from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mamluk leaders. But after a few years the British took over the fortress from the French after a fierce battle. The British constructed a new gate to the fortress later. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 the Quseir Fortress, Marsa Alam declined in importance.
In recent times the Quseir Fortress, Marsa Alam was restored to its original condition. The cannons have been put up in the same place in their original gun ports pointing towards the sea. With the help of illustrations from the Description de l’Egypte that was commissioned by Napoleon, the viewing platform was restored. Being one of the attractive Marsa Alam Tourist Attractions, the fortress also has a Visitor Center which educates visitors about the local history, culture and archaeology of the surrounding region.
For further reference on Quseir Fortress, Marsa Alam, kindly check travel.mapsofworld.com.
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