Fire broke out Friday in Cairo's Citadel compound, an ancient monument considered one of Egypt's most important historical sites and a major tourist attraction. The Citadel is an immense fortress, with many buildings and gardens surrounded by ramparts. It was built by Saladin in the 12th century
The fire was quickly brought under control and there were no casualties, Egyptian Culture Minister Faruq Hosni said.
Hosni said that the blaze had "caused no damage to the historic monuments near the area where the fire broke out".
The fire started in a storage area where wood, old doors, windows and other objects replaced or used during restoration work in the Citadel were housed, according to AFP.
More than fifty fire engines were rushed to the scene and managed to douse the flames before they could damage any monuments inside the imposing hilltop Citadel.
A heavy police presence prevented all but the firefighters from entering the site.
The burned out depot was very close to buildings in the Citadel including the al-Gawhara palace, which was struck by fire in the 1970s and undergoing restoration.
In addition, Hosni said that the alarm system had failed and a new sophisticated system would be installed "to avoid a repetition of such an incident". (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
