Joseph's Well

Joseph’s Well is the deep rock-cut water shaft inside Cairo Citadel traditionally associated with Salah al-Din. Commissioned during the construction of the fortress in the late twelfth century, the well descends about 90 metres and is organized on two levels with a spiral stair and water-lifting mechanisms. It was designed to secure a water supply for the Citadel during siege and remains one of the site’s most distinctive engineering features. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities currently lists daily visiting hours of 8 AM to 4 PM for the well. The official Ministry description explains that Salah al-Din commissioned Baha al-Din Qaraqush to create the well as part of the Citadel's original water system. Cut directly into rock to a depth of about ninety metres, the shaft is arranged on two levels with a spiral staircase and water-lifting wheels. Openings in the walls provided light and ventilation. The design shows how closely the fortress depended on engineered water infrastructure and why the well was strategically important during siege conditions. The Ministry further records that the upper and lower sections were linked by the internal stair, allowing people and animals operating the lifting system to move within the shaft structure. This makes the well one of the Citadel's clearest surviving examples of medieval hydraulic engineering.