GRAND CAIRO. 12/ 
long before the time of the Saracen Caliphs. 
Not to insist upon the appearance of hieroglyphic 
inscriptions mentioned by Paul Lucas^, and 
which perhaps belonged to the remains of 
edifices brought hither as building materials; 
yet, from the size of some of the stones upon 
which a modern superstructure has been raised, 
as well as from the conformity of its general 
appearance, as an Acropolis, to the plans of the 
most antient cities, it may be inferred that a 
citadel existed here before any Saracen settle- 
ment had taken place in this part of Egypt. 
The subject seems to merit more attention 
than it has yet received, ^l-dol Ccdiph, in his 
History of Egijpt^, ascribes both the Well and 
the Castle to Saladine^; but Shaw, who mentions 
this circumstance, says, it was the restoration 
of the Citadel, rather than its construction, which 
should be ascribed to Saladine. Savary, 
upon the authority of an Arabian writer, main- 
tains that the origin of the city and castle of 
Cairo must be ascribed to the Saracens^. Yet, 
(3) " J'appercfis m^me, sur quelques-uns de ces pierres, plusieurs 
caracteres hiernglyjMqiies qui sont de la premiere antiquity." I'oi/uge 
du Paul Lucas, torn, II. p. 126. Jtnst. 1714. 
(4) P. 85. See 5Aaw's Travels, vol. n. p. 265. Lo7id.\Tol. 
(5 Salah Oddin Joseph Ehn Job, as written by Shaw. 
(6) Lettres sur VEgypte, torn I. p. 84. Paris, 1786. 
