The visitor to Cairo should perhaps begin exploration at the Citadel of Salaheddin (Saladin), which stands as one of the world’s greatest medieval remains and houses a number of mosques and several museums. It was built on a spur of the Muqattam Hills, a superb vantage point dominating the city. It was once Cairo's seat of power for succeeding caliphs, sultans, ministers and pashas until the time of Mohammed Ali in the 19th century. The citadel's three main sections are the main fortress and eastern walls, which were built by the great Salaheddin Al-Ayoubi in 1176; the southern enclosure, which has 19th century walls; and the lower enclosure extending down the western face of the hill, with its main gate opposite the Sultan Hassan Mosque.
Today, the National Police Museum, built where the Striped Palace once stood, displays a number of constabulary relics from the Pharaonic Era till this day. A large terrace just outside the museum provides a spectacular view of Cairo, and recently a hall from the Striped Palace was discovered south of this terrace.