Fortress · Egypt
Quseir Fort
قلعة القصير
An Ottoman harbour fort of 1571 in central El Quseir, held by the French in 1799 and now a conserved fort with a heritage visitor centre.
Where it is
26.1052, 34.2829
Why go
The Ottomans founded a new harbour and this fort at Quseir in 1571. In 1799 Napoleon's army occupied it and held out through a three-day bombardment by the Royal Navy. Its later uses included a phosphate works and a coast guard station, until it was abandoned in 1975. From 1996 the American Research Center in Egypt conserved it as a visitor centre on the history of Quseir and the Red Sea. Visitors can see the three surviving towers, the cistern, the watchtower and courtyards with cannons, phosphate wagons and a pearl-diving boat. Excavated pipes, coffee cups and porcelain are also on show.
Near Quseir Fort
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